


Testaments of the Past

by Dreamflower



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Baby Hobbits, Bag End, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Light Angst, Post-Quest, remembering Frodo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-19 08:43:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 34,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10636365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamflower/pseuds/Dreamflower
Summary: A few years after Frodo leaves the Grey Havens, Sam, Merry and Pippin investigate a mysterious box he left behind. Co-authored with Gryffinjack. (Originally written and posted on LiveJournal in 2006, under the name "gryffinflower", and at Stories of Arda under Dreamflower and at Many Paths to Tread as Dreamflower, Gryffinjack.)





	1. Prologue: A Letter From Sam

**Author's Note:**

> This story will have illustrations; some drawings, some photos and some items made by the authors. There will also be "Author's Notes" that consist of the text of documents mentioned in the story, such as wills, letters, etc.
> 
> I could not select Gryffinjack as official co-author as she has no account here, not having written any fanfiction since before AO3 existed, but she is on board with my posting it here.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merry and Pippin get a letter from Sam, who has made a discovery.

**PROLOGUE**

Merry and Pippin watched the posthobbit trot off down the lane. The cousins sat down on the step of their cottage, and Merry glanced at the letter in Sam’s familiar handwriting. He put his thumb under the seal and opened the letter.

_“Dear Mr. Merry and Mr.Pippin--_

_Rosie and I was going through some things in one of the mathom rooms, as we are thinking of turning it into a room for little Elanor, as Frodo-lad will be having a new little one to share the nursery with him, come summer.”_

The two of them stopped and grinned at one another. Merry chuckled. “You know, they said the next lad would be named for me,” he smirked.

“Oh, I don’t know--’Merry’ wouldn’t be a bad name for a little lass as well--ow!” Pippin put a hand to the back of his head where Merry had swatted him.

“Bite your tongue!” Merry chuckled. He returned to reading the letter.

_“Anyways, as we was going through the room, we come across a strongbox about the size of a small chest. It had the key stuck right there in the lock, and we opened it._

_Now, I know that when Mr. Frodo went over all his papers with me, he said he wanted everything of his to come to me, but I don’t rightly think that what was in there should. These are things that rightly should only go to blood kin. So, I was hoping as you both could come to Bag End as soon as was convenient for you, to see what you want to take away with you, back to Buckland._

_I truly think that this is important, and will be glad of you coming._

_Here is hoping this has found you both well, and Rose sends her regards to you both, and to Estella as well. And Elanor says give her hugs and kisses to little Wyn and Perry-lad._

_Yr. friend,_

  1. _Gamgee.”_



Pippin stared at Merry. Merry sighed. “Well, I had better see whether Estella wants to come with us; it can’t be tomorrow--I promised Da to go over the inventory of last winter’s stores.”

“And Beri and Ilbie and I are supposed to check the High Hay.”

“So, I guess it will be day after tomorrow, then. I’ll write Sam back by Quick Post.”

-oo000oo-


	2. Arrival at Bag End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story was co-written by Gryffinjack.
> 
> Merry, Estella and Pippin arrive to see what has Sam so stirred up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Author's Notes at the end of the chapter are also a part of the story. We hope you will take time to look them over!  
> The notes at the end of this chapter include:  
> The full text of Drogo and Primula's Marriage Contract  
> The full text of Drogo's Letter to Bilbo  
> The full text of Drogo's and Primula's Last Will and Testament

 

**CHAPTER ONE: ARRIVAL AT BAG END**

The trap pulled up in front of Bag End. Sam was enjoying a pipe on the bench by the front door, little Elanor on his lap. He smiled and put her down, and she began to run down the path, helter-skelter. He followed, smiling, at a more leisurely pace.

"Unca Merry! Unca Pip! Auntie 'Stella!" she called out, laughing.

Pippin hopped down from the driver's seat, and Merry clambered down from the other side and began to assist Estella to alight, taking his tiny daughter in one arm, and helping her to step down holding their infant son. Pippin had started to turn to help as well, but was halted by Elanor's little body slamming into his legs. Pippin winced; his knee was stiff from sitting so long.

Pippin bent down and swung her up and around, making her squeal with laughter. "Well, now, how's my little Miss Elanor today?" he grinned. He settled her atop his shoulders, where she gripped his curly hair tightly.

"I'm very good, Unca Pip! But put me down! I want to see the babies!"

Sam chuckled, as Pippin, crestfallen, set her on the ground, and she darted over to where Merry and Estella stood, and began to coo over Wyn and little Perry.

"Ah!" said Pippin dramatically, putting his hand to his heart, "rejected by my best lass for a couple of smelly babies!"

"Your best lass is it?" said Sam in a tone of mock sternness. "And what would Miss Diamond say to that?"

Pippin blushed sheepishly, but laughed all the same. "Since Miss Diamond is as foolishly fond of the fairest little lass in the Shire as I am, I think she would understand." He bit his lip. "We stayed the night at Budgeford, and I'd hoped to convince her to come along on this little expedition, but once again babies were my undoing. Seems several of the pesky things are scheduled for imminent arrival in the village over the next few days, and Mistress Lavender would not spare her."

Sam laughed and clapped him on the back. "Ah, well, M--Pippin, that's what you get when you set your sights on an apprentice Healer!" He turned to the others. "It's good to see you again, Merry! And Estella, I know Rose is very much looking forward to having your company for a few days!"

Merry stepped up and gave Sam a quick one-armed hug and slap on the back, as he was still holding little Wyn in the other arm. "It's good to see you, Sam! It's been far too long!" He turned to Pippin. "Pippin, would you mind seeing to the ponies?"

Pippin soon joined the others in the kitchen, where Rose had set out a very nice luncheon. There was fresh-baked bread, vegetable soup, a salad of tender greens, cold sliced meat, and fried potatoes. They set to as soon as the little ones had been settled.

For a while, they talked of the food, as hobbits usually do, and then Rose and Sam asked how things were in Buckland.

"Things are going quite well, actually," said Merry. "In fact, last month, I persuaded Da to take a couple of weeks off, and I saw to things for him. He's not getting any younger, you know! Mum talked him into going off with Uncle Mac on a fishing trip. But," he added with a smile, "he was almost offended when he returned at how well things went without him."

Pippin laughed. "I know he was pleased that you hadn't any problems, Merry. But I think it made him feel a bit like a spare wheel on a sound waggon."

"Well, your mother was very pleased," put in Estella. "She'd been after him to take time off for years."

Elanor, who had been engrossed in her meal up to this point, interrupted. "Unca Pip! Unca Merry! We have new kitties!"

"Do you indeed, Miss Elanor!" exclaimed Pippin.

She nodded vigorously, nearly spilling her cup of milk. "They are out in the garden shed! Do you want to see them?"

The garden shed was a new one, built to replace the old one, which had been torn down during the Troubles. It was an improvement over the old one--larger, with several windows and a potting bench, and racks and sturdy shelves for storage made it less cluttered than the old rickety shelves and crates which had cluttered the original shed. But it was built in the same location, just below the vegetable garden, a few feet from the well. The path that led there had been restored, and seemed the same as ever it had, and Elanor had led the way, sometimes skipping ahead, and sometimes running back to take her "uncles" by the hand and urge them to greater speed. Sam followed far behind, at a good deal more leisurely pace, smiling as he watched his golden child spread her sunshine.

In the shed door, a panel had been cut out, and a piece of heavy canvas had been attached at the top to make a sort of flap, so that the cats had easy access into and out of the building. But most of the cats had taken up residence in the newly built stable a bit farther down on the property.

Elanor could barely reach the doorknob. Pippin reached over her little head and swung the door inward. There was an inquisitive mew, as if to say "Who has come to call?"

Elanor tiptoed over to a low box which lay in a patch of sunshine from one of the windows, and sat down upon the floor. Pippin and Merry came up behind her. Merry grinned. "Hullo, Strawberry, old girl! We've come to see your new family."

Pippin bent down and lowered his hand. The little mother lay upon her side, nursing four squirming kittens. She raised her head, and bumped his hand just slightly, closing her eyes in pleasure as he rubbed her head gently. She was mostly white, although she had a ginger-coloured patch on one back hip, and another, the shape of a ripe strawberry on her forehead.

Sam had come up behind. "There's three little males and one female. Elanor's managed to name 'em all."

Elanor smiled up at her father, and then began to point: "That's Tater, and Turnip, and Tomato, and Truffle." Her hand stopped on the fourth one which was all white. "Truffle is the lass."

Merry laughed. "I see she takes after her Uncle Pippin! He always named his animals after food too. At least until we got home from our journey, when he decided to name some of them after Elves." For Strawberry had been born at Crickhollow, and her father had been named Haldir.

Pippin picked Truffle up gently. "Well, lass, I see you take after your grandda!" He stroked the mewling little thing for a moment, but when she began to try and nurse his little finger, he chuckled a put her back in the box with her mother. "I think you will get more nourishment in there, Truffle."

"Well, we need to go back to the smial," said Sam.

"Oh, Daddy! Can't I stay with the kitties a little longer?" Elanor turned her wide brown eyes upon her father, and bit her lip.

Sam shook his head, but said "Well, Elanorelle, if you will be *very* careful of them. But keep your ears open for your mother to call you in--no dawdling then!"

She flashed a brilliant smile. "Oh *thank* you, Daddy!"

The three adults left the shed, listening to Elanor chatting to Strawberry as though the cat could understand every word.

"Goodness, Sam!" said Merry, "She's got you fairly wrapped around her little finger!"

Sam just gave a rather sloppy grin, and said "Yes, she does, doesn't she?"

Pippin laughed aloud. "You're a fine one to talk! Look at the way you dote on Wyn! As soon as she learns to talk, she will be telling you to jump, and all you will do is ask her 'how high?'"

Almost at the same instant, both Sam and Merry said "Just wait until *you* have a daughter, Pippin Took!"

Laughing, they entered Bag End's back door.

"Do you want to get a look-in at that strongbox now?" Sam asked.

Merry and Pippin looked at one another, and nodded vigorously. Both of them had their Tookish curiosity fairly aroused.

Sam led the other two back to the  _ mathom _ room. It had very nearly been emptied, but the strongbox stood against the back wall, right in the centre, the brass key sticking out of its lock.

"That's just how I found it, just as Mr. Frodo left it." He squatted down, turned the key, and threw back the lid. "Rose and me, we looked in it just a little bit, and when we figured out what all was in it, we stopped and locked it back up. That was right on top, as you see. You two may recollect that it used to hang above Mr. Frodo's dressing table in his room, but I hadn't realized he'd taken it down and put it away." Sam looked away. He had left Mr. Frodo's room just as it was, and never went in it, though Rose cleaned and dusted it dutifully every week.

Merry and Pippin looked in curiously. "Why, that's Drogo's and Primula's Wedding Document!" Every hobbit couple had a nicely framed copy of their wedding document, to hang on the wall of their smial. They were usually nicely written and illuminated as well, if the families could afford it. But this was larger and grander than most, and was beautifully illuminated, with gilding on many of the letters. The signatures in red ink stood out prominently, as did the seal of the Master of Buckland, pressed in silver sealing wax next to his own signature.

"Yes, I had forgotten about it, though. I never really thought about it much."

Pippin nodded his head in agreement as he admired the document. One of the finest scriveners in the Shire must have created it.

 

 

"What's this?" asked Pippin, as he reached in to pluck out a yellowed envelope tucked neatly into one corner of the frame.

Merry, who was lifting the document out, stood it next to the strongbox and took the envelope from Pippin. Sam had sat back on his heels, and watched Frodo's cousins anxiously. For all that they were good friends now, Sam never lost sight of the fact that they were Frodo's own kin, and he hoped they thought he had done right in summoning them.

Merry took the paper out of its envelope and opened it carefully. "Why, this is Drogo's and Primula's will!" he exclaimed. “It was written just after Frodo was born. Hmm… Grandda and Uncle Paladin were witnesses.”

He replaced it after glancing at it briefly, and then reached in to take some of the letters from the top.

"These letters were to Bilbo," he said. He opened one. "Oh," he said in a small voice.

Merry’s eyes filled with tears, and his hand trembled, as he looked at the paper he held. Frodo had kept all these things for a reason, and now it was painful to see. He bit his lip, and looked at Pippin, who silently held out his hand.

Pippin glanced down at the paper, and swallowed audibly. In a voice rough with emotion, he began to read.

_ Dear Bilbo, _

_ Primula and I have the most wonderful news to tell you – we are expecting a child early this fall--possibly around the time of your birthday! We would have told you sooner, but we wanted to wait until the period of greatest risk was over before we told anyone. The healer seems to think that things are going well, and that there is every chance that this time our child will be born well and healthy. _

_ As you can imagine, especially since we had not told anyone else our good news, Primula and I have been discussing everything imaginable about the baby – from what to name it to who it will resemble to what our child’s future will be like. _

_ The more we talked about our child’s future, the more we realised that perhaps we should begin to make provisions for our child's future, in the event something should happen to one or both of us. To put it bluntly, we are contemplating our Will. Of course, if something should happen to only one of us, the other will be there to care for our child. But Primula has become adamant for some reason that we make provision in the unlikely event that something happens to both of us. I think perhaps this may be due to some disturbing dreams she has had recently." _

Pippin's voice trailed off, and he looked at the others. "Even then--Frodo's mum, she must have *known* …"

Merry sighed. "I don't think she *knew*. That would be unbearable. But she might have had a feeling about it. Remember some of the dreams Frodo used to have?"

"I think as you have the right of it, Merry," put in Sam. "She must've had a feeling about it, and wanted to do somewhat about it."

As if by common consent, all three of them drew a deep breath. Sam rose slowly to his feet.

“Ah! Here’s another letter from Drogo to Bilbo written on the day Frodo was born,” said Merry.

Pippin leaned in closer to Merry who began to read this one aloud.

_ 22 Halimath, S.R. 1368 _

_ Brandy Hall _

_ My dear Cousin Bilbo: _

_ My darling Primula and I thank you for the finest birthday gift you could ever give us, our dear son, Frodo. For would you believe? The lad has inherited the Baggins’ stubbornness and insisted on being born on your birthday of all days! _

_ Primula and the babe are both doing well, although Primula is exhausted, of course. I know we always say that we lads are strong, but Bilbo, believe me when I say that we are not nearly as strong as the lasses. My poor Primula was in labour for over thirty hours, but is resting comfortably now. I have never been more proud of my beautiful wife. _

_ Can you believe it, Bilbo? I’m a father! I counted; Frodo has all ten fingers and all ten toes, and the bluest eyes you’ve ever seen. He’s a strapping lad – three pounds, six ounces, and is eleven inches tall. Dora says that she remembers me being just as noisy when I was born, but agrees with me that he is far more handsome a babe than I – I think he will favour his mother in his looks, which is most fortunate. _

_ Now that your birthday is over, which you stubbornly insisted on spending at Bag End instead of here meeting the new byrding, won’t you please make haste to come to Brandy Hall? I insist that you meet my son straight away! _

_ Do please hurry, Bilbo. We cannot wait to share our happiness with you! _

_ Love, _

_ Your cousin, _

_ Drogo _

“I wonder how Frodo felt about being considered a birthday present for Bilbo!” Pippin quipped.

“He probably enjoyed it,” commented Merry. “You know how much he loves Bilbo and always wanted to try to find the perfect gift for Bilbo on their birthday. I suppose all these years he’s been trying pointlessly to best the very first gift he ever gave Bilbo. Silly hobbit.”

“Well, it appears our cousin kept a lot of letters and documents that he did not tell anyone about. The silly hobbit – secretive to the last. I think this is going to take a while," said Pippin.

Merry didn't say anything. He was still staring at the letters.

"I think you're right M-Pippin," said Sam, almost stumbling into saying "Mr." "Mayhap we should just make a fresh start in the morning. Both of you are bound to be tired from travelling; we can take it up after second breakfast, maybe?" He looked at Merry, worried.

"Merry!" Pippin prodded his cousin.

"Oh, oh yes, Sam, you're quite right. A fresh start in the morning." He seemed to come out of his daze, and looked around the room. "But maybe we should take them into the study to work through. It's not very comfortable in here."

Sam replaced the items that had been removed, and locked it back up. Without being told, Pippin hoisted it up, and said "We might as well take it in there tonight. Then it will be there, ready for us tomorrow."

Sam followed Pippin. Merry hesitated briefly, and then he also followed, closing the door behind him.

________________________________________________

“May I be of any help in the kitchen, Rose?” asked Estella, jugging little Perry over her shoulder.

“No, I don’t think so, Estella, but I thank you kindly just the same. I believe I have it all in hand, so to speak,” was Rose’s reply. Just then little Frodo-lad crawled over and began to tug at her skirts. “But mayhap you can keep me company while I feed this lad.”

Estella smiled. “I could do that. I do believe my own little fellow here is beginning to get a bit hungry as well.”

In one corner of the spacious Bag End kitchen Sam had taken away the large cupboard that had stood there all through Bilbo’s and Frodo’s time, and placed there instead two rocking chairs. The two young mothers made themselves comfortable for their nursing. “You have two chairs here now,” observed Estella.

“Yes. About the last thing Mr. Frodo did before he left was buy us these rocking chairs. He told Sam they was for the kitchen, so as we could be comfortable with the little ones in here. O’ course, we only had little Elanor then, but Mr. Frodo said there’d be more. Sam, he was not certain about moving the cupboard, but that was the only way the chairs would fit in here and still leave plenty of room for cooking. At first we just put the one chair here, and kept the other in our room. But since little Frodo-lad come along, and now with another on the way, I told Sam ‘twas time to move the other one in here, too.”

“Well, it certainly makes sense! I believe I’ll tell Merry we need rocking chairs in the kitchen at Crickhollow.”

________________________________________________

After supper, Sam, Merry and Pippin went out front for a smoke, leaving Rose and Estella talking at the table. The two wives had a good deal of news to exchange. They were *still* talking when they heard the others coming back in a while later.

“Goodness, but it’s getting late! Here we’ve been chattering like a couple of chickens when there’s the little ones to be put to bed!” Rosie stood up abruptly. “Begging your pardon, Estella.”

“No, don’t be silly, Rose, I’m glad you noticed! It’s already past bedtime for my children. And Perry is so fussy when it comes to his bath and bedtime.”

While Rose went to round up her children, Estella went to find Merry. She found him in the study with Pippin leaning in next to Merry, speaking in a hushed voice. Her stomach tightened as she thought of the possibilities. Living all together as they did at Crickhollow, Estella had come to learn various methods of reading her husband.

One of the most reliable methods was Pippin. If Pippin’s face was tight with concern and he was speaking quietly with Merry while standing protectively over him, as he was doing now, Estella could be certain that something was amiss with Merry.

Estella carefully hid the frown that had formed on her face and entered the room.

“Excuse me, Pippin. Merry, would please see that your daughter goes to sleep while I wash this little lad? She had her bath a little earlier.”

“Of course, dear.” Although Merry smiled brightly, Estella did not miss that his eyes were glistening. She gave a pointed glance at Pippin who nodded slightly.

“I’ll give you a hand, Estella. Perry’s getting quite used to his Uncle Pippin helping with his bath; I would not want to disappoint the lad!” he said cheerfully.

Pippin checked the water in the kettle against the skin on the underside of his wrist. Good. Warm, but not too hot. He poured it into the small basin, as Estella divested little Perry of his clothing. She lowered the baby into the bath, and took the flannel Pippin proffered her, and lathering it with soap, began to wash Perry.

"What's going on, Pippin? Why is Merry upset? Does it have something to do with the letter Sam sent?"

"You are full of questions, Cousin Estella," said Pippin, evading her searching glance.

"None of that, Peregrin Took! You tell me why you are fretting over Merry!" Perry picked up on his mother's distress, and began to whimper and fret. She lowered her voice. "Please, Pip. I do have the right to know."

He sighed. "You are right, Estella." He paused a moment, to put more warm water in the basin, pouring it gently over his little namesake, and rinsing off the soap. "The strongbox apparently contains some things that Frodo felt important to save--letters and other documents. It's going to be just--" he stopped for a moment, a catch in his own voice, "just a bit distressing to go through them." He took a deep breath, and then reached out with a towel to take up the wet baby from his mother. "At any rate, it has to be done, and it's not going to be easy. Come to Uncle Pip, Perry, and let's get you all dry."

Once Estella and Pippin had finished bathing Perry, and he was sleeping soundly, Estella went to check on little Wyn. The door was half open as Estella peeked in on her daughter. She was asleep. Merry was sitting beside her, gently stroking her soft curls and quietly humming an old tune his mother used to hum to him when he was a _ faunt _ . He looked up at Estella and smiled.

“She’s really something, the way she falls asleep so easily here at Bag End,” Merry said, still stroking little Wyn’s hair. “Frodo said that he always had to read me a story, sometimes two, before I would nod off when we used to come and visit Bilbo. Bilbo used to say that Frodo was the same way.”

Estella entered the room and closed the door softly behind her and came to stand next to Merry.

“Perhaps you and Frodo just liked to stay awake to hear the stories.” She reached over and put her arm around him.

Merry chuckled softly and shook his head. “You know me so well.”

“With Pippin living at Crickhollow with us, I’ve heard enough stories from the two of you to know how much all three of you enjoyed stories. You are always saying what an excellent story-teller Bilbo is. And Frodo. Perhaps it is a Baggins talent he inherited from birth,” she said pointedly.

Estella felt Merry tense a little as she looked at him expectantly.

“Frodo, eh? I take it Pippin told you about the letters.”

“You are not the only one who worries about family, Merry, dear.”

“I’m fine, Estella, really.”

She snorted sofly. "I believe that as much as Pippin does. We both love you more than anything.”

Merry reached around Estella with both of his arms and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

“I know you do, both of you. I am truly a lucky hobbit to be so loved. Between you, and Pippin, and the children…” He smiled down at the sleeping form of his daughter. “Frodo left a strongbox filled with old documents and letters. We saw letters from when he was born.”

Estella said nothing, choosing to let Merry tell her in his own way.

“Drogo and Primula were so excited when he was born, just like we were when we had Wyn and Perry. Even back then, Primula--before Frodo was even born, Drogo and Primula had asked Bilbo to be Frodo's guardian along with Da. Maybe she had one of those dreams like Frodo sometimes did, or maybe it was just a feeling, I don’t know.”

Merry paused and took a breath.

“I was shaken when I first read the letters and saw Drogo’s and Primula’s marriage document and Will, but I was feeling better when you found Pippin and me in the study. Pippin was concerned that it was going to be too difficult a task for me, looking through that box of old memories, and he’s right that it will be difficult. But, Estella, I must see it through. Yet when I came in here to put Wyn to bed, holding her and having her look at me with those trusting eyes, so certain that I will always be there for her--it just brought it home to me.

“What if something happens to us? I can’t bear to think of Wyn or Perry going through the pain Frodo has gone through his entire life. Seeing those documents about Frodo and his parents, when their lives held so much promise, knowing that they would be dead in a few short years and the pain Frodo would bear from that point on…”

“Nothing is going to happen to us, Merry.”

But Merry continued on as if he had not heard Estella. “Frodo is like a brother to me, just as much as Pippin is. But Frodo was my first brother, my older brother. I looked up to him for everything, even when I was older.”

“I remember,” Estella said softly. “I noticed that when you and Frodo used to come over to visit with Freddy.”

Merry looked at her and nodded. “Frodo played a special part in my life. He taught me so much and made me laugh more than anyone I knew until Pippin came along. He knew me better than anyone else, even when I was a faunt and a little lad. But I could not take away all of his pain. I failed and he left. He left me behind three times.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I suppose deep down, I never really got over his leaving. I know he was hurting, that he had to leave Buckland and was better off here with Bilbo, but--I felt like I had lost him. I still needed him to be a part of my life. Then he went off on his own to Mordor. If only I had guessed sooner what he meant to do. Sam did.” Merry moved to wipe the tears that had started to form. "And then he had to leave again, when he should have been able to live in honor and happiness here in the Shire. I miss him still. I need him still."

“I know you do,” Estella said gently as she rubbed his back. “I see it in your eyes every day, yours and Pippin’s. But he had to leave, both times. His pain was just too much for him to stay.”

“I know that! I know we would have lost him anyway! Why couldn't Frodo stay and do his healing with his family that loves him so much? He had Mum and Da, and Grandda and Grandmum; scores of Brandybuck relatives there to help him heal. And after the Ring--Sam, Pippin, and I would have done *anything* for him! Why couldn’t we help him? Why did he have to leave?”

Merry reached up almost angrily to dash the tears from his eyes. His agitation conveyed itself to his sleeping daughter, who whimpered slightly in her sleep. He glanced down and her guiltily, and bit his lip.

"Come, Merry my love, let us leave, so that Wyn can sleep."

He nodded, and allowed her to take him by the hand and lead him from the room. As she did so, Pippin was coming out of his own room and halted when he saw them. Merry had his hand over his eyes as he tried to master his tears, and did not see how pale his cousin grew at the sight of him.

Pippin opened his mouth as if to speak, but only managed a weak, “Merry?” before being silenced by a shake of Estella’s head as she guided Merry into their guest room.

“I’m sorry, Estella,” Merry took a deep breath once he had regained his control. He sat in the chair in front of the dark window and stared at the stars. “I thought I had made my peace with all of this a long time ago.”

“We never get over losing someone we love, dear. Even when we know why they are taken from us.”

“He was cheated in life. First by the death of his parents and then by The Ring. As long as I have known him, there was always a part of him that was missing. A part I never knew.”

“Well then, Merry, maybe you will find that missing part of Frodo in that strongbox of his.”

Merry looked up sharply at Estella in confusion.

“Maybe you will find your answers there so you can be at peace.”

“I hope so, Estella. I really hope so. I just want him to be happy.”

“I know you do, dearest. We all do.”

Estella embraced Merry tenderly and allowed him to cling to her for support. After a few minutes, Merry moved out of her embrace.

“I think I ought to go speak with Pippin now. I could feel him there in the hallway. He'll be awake half the night worrying over me if I don't ease his mind.”

She smiled at him and nodded. "I'll be waiting for you."

 

**AUTHOR'S END NOTES:**

**FULL TEXT OF DROGO'S AND PRIMULA'S WEDDING DOCUMENT:**

A marriage is like a summer flower garden, blooming with daisies and asters, lilies, foxgloves and more. Butterflies and bees flit among the blossoms, and ladybugs climb the leaves.

On the first day of the month of Forelithe in the year of Shire Reckoning 1354

**PRIMULA BRANDYBUCK**

**and**

**DROGO BAGGINS**

Surrounded by family and friends agree to enter into this mutual covenant of wedlock as partners and companions in life and love and so make the following vows:

We promise to love and honour one another; to support and comfort one another in joy and sorrow, riches and poverty, from this day forward. We pledge ourselves as friends and partners in marriage, to trust, appreciate, cherish and respect each other, to share hopes, thoughts, and dreams as we build our lives together.

We shall establish a home that is compassionate to all wherein the flow of the seasons and the passages of life, as witnessed by our mutual traditions, are honoured. May our home be filled with peace, happiness, and love as we build upon the hearth of truth, kindness, wisdom and reverence. May our home be shared by our family traditions and committed to the pursuit of learning, caring for friends and family, and nurturing of the Shire.

We vow to join our two separate families into one family, united by our marriage. We shall now each of us be considered equally a part of one other’s family as the family to which we were born. We promise to love, honour and care for each other’s family as much as the family to which we were born.

Our hearts are united forever; May we grow through our lives ever entwined, our love bringing us closer together

When we are parted at the end of our days, the one who is left shall retain the rights to all property, real or personal, and any and all inheritances with which we each of us entered into this marriage.

We joyfully enter into this covenant and solemnly accept its obligations.

In witness whereof, with love and devotion, We, Primula Brandybuck and Drogo Baggins, hereunto set our hands to seal this moment and sign and publish this covenant this first day of Forelithe S.R. 1354.

Drogo Baggins Primula Brandybuck

This instrument was signed, sealed and declared by Primula Brandybuck and Drogo Baggins, the Bride and Groom above named for their Wedding Contract in the presence of us who in their presence and at their request and in the presence of each other have hereupon inscribed our names as Witnesses. Furthermore, we Primula Brandybuck and Drogo Baggins and the Witnesses respectively, whose names are signed to the foregoing instrument do hereby declare to the undersigned official that the Bride and Groom signed the instrument as their Wedding Contract and that they signed voluntarily of their own free will and that each of the Witnesses in the presence of the Bride and Groom at their request and in the presence of each other signed the Wedding Contract as a Witness and that to the best of the knowledge of each Witness the Bride and Groom were at that time thirty-three years or more of age, of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.

WITNESSES:

Rorimac Brandybuck Saradas Brandybuck Adalgrim Took

Bilbo Baggins Fosco Baggins Rufus Burrows Fredegund Bolger

Subscribed and acknowledged before me by Primula Brandybuck and Drogo Baggins, the Bride and Groom and subscribed and sworn to by the

above Witnesses on the first day of Forelithe, S.R. 1354.

Gorbadoc Brandybuck,(SEAL OF THE BRANDYBUCKS)

Master of Buckland

**FULL TEXT OF DROGO'S LETTER, TELLING BILBO THAT HE AND PRIMULA ARE EXPECTING:**

_ 20 Thrimidge S.R. 1368 _

_ Brandy Hall _

_ Dear Bilbo, _

_ Primula and I have the most wonderful news to tell you – we are expecting a child early this fall--possibly around the time of your birthday! We would have told you sooner, but we wanted to wait until the period of greatest risk was over before we told anyone. The healer seems to think that things are going well, and that there is every chance that this time our child will be born well and healthy. _

_ As you can imagine, especially since we had not told anyone else our good news, Primula and I have been discussing everything imaginable about the baby – from what to name it to who it will resemble to what our child’s future will be like. _

_ The more we talked about our child’s future, the more we realised that perhaps we should begin to make provisions for our child's future, in the event something should happen to one or both of us. To put it bluntly, we are contemplating our Will. Of course, if something should happen to only one of us, the other will be there to care for our child. But Primula has become adamant for some reason that we make provision in the unlikely event that something happens to both of us. I think perhaps this may be due to some disturbing dreams she has had recently. _

_ We have thought this over very carefully and would like to know how you would feel about being named one of our child's guardians? You are, after all the head of the family, although I think that we shall also ask one of the Brandybucks to share the responsibility. But as Head of the Bagginses as well as one of my dearest relatives, I think the primary responsibility should come to you. I cannot ask Dudo; his health, as you know, would make it difficult for him to take on another child. Young Daisy is nearly eighteen, and will soon be entering her tweens. _

_ I do not ask you to give me an answer now. When the child is born will be soon enough. However, I would like you to think it over in the next four months, so that you will be able to let us know then. We both are confident that old bachelor though you are, you would make a wonderful guardian. _

_ In other news, things are going well here in Buckland. Gilda is trying to persuade Rory to hold a celebration for his fifth year as Master; she loves an excuse for a party as you know and Primula is doing her best at wheedling her brother to agree. He is not keen on the idea, but I do not think he can hold out long against their combined wiles. Young Saradoc approaches his twenty-eighth year in terror of the lasses pursuing him, but he has caught the eye of the redoubtable Esmeralda Took, here with her older sisters to visit Prim, and I do not think the other lasses will hold out long. She's almost of age, and he's still five years to go, but I doubt that will make any difference to her. She is uncommonly patient for a Took. And Merimac is spending a month mucking out the stables. Seems he thought it would be funny to replace the leaf in his Uncle Saradas' pouch with an assortment of dead grasses. Rory would probably have thought it amusing if Saradas had not been sharing his pipe-weed with him at the time. _

_ I look forward to seeing you at the Great Smials during Lithe. Cousin Fortinbras assures me he has some fine vintage from the Southfarthing laid down for the occasion. _

_ Affectionately yours, _

_ your cousin, _

_ Drogo" _

____________________________________

**LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF DROGO BAGGINS and PRIMULA BAGGINS**

Be it remembered that I, Drogo Baggins, individually and on behalf of my wife, Primula Baggins, as residents of Buckland, located across the Brandywine River from the Shire, being of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, and mindful of the uncertainties of this life, do hereby make, publish and declare this document as our Last Will and Testament, and hereby revoke all former wills and testaments or writings and codicils thereto, by us made.

ARTICLE I.  Funeral Expense . It is our desire that all of our funeral expenses be paid out of the assets of our estates as soon as practicable after each of our deaths, and we order and direct that any members of our family who have disbursed their personal funds for the payment of either of our funeral expenses be reimbursed promptly by our Executor.

ARTICLE II.  Personal Effects . We hereby give and bequeath all of our personal effects, furniture, furnishings, smialhold goods, silverware, china, and ornaments not otherwise disposed of to each other. Upon both of our deaths, all of our personal effects, furniture, furnishings, smialhold goods, silverware, china, and ornaments not otherwise disposed of shall be distributed equally amongst all of our then surviving children. In the event that all of our children shall predecease both of us, then and in that event, then upon the death of the second of us to die, all of our personal effects, furniture, furnishings, smialhold goods, silverware, mathoms, and ornaments not otherwise disposed of shall be distributed to the heads of our respective families depending upon whichever of our families, Baggins and/or Brandybuck, gave said personal effects to us.

ARTICLE III.  Disposition of Residuary .

  1. Upon the death of either of us, Drogo Baggins or Primula Baggins, all of the rest, residue, and residuary of his or her estate, herein referred to as his or her Residuary Estate, be it real property, personal property or mixed, wherever situated, of which he or she may die seized or possessed, or to which he or she may be or become in any way entitled or have any interest, shall be distributed to the remaining spouse, Drogo Baggins or Primula Baggins.
  2. Upon the death of the second of us to die, then and in that event, our Residuary Estates shall be distributed equally amongst all of our then surviving children.
  3. In the event that all of our children shall predecease both of us, then and in that event, then upon the death of the second of us to die, our Residuary Estates shall be distributed to the heads of our respective families, depending upon whichever of our families, Baggins and Brandybuck, said assets were derived. Any and all remaining assets shall be distributed equally between the heads of our families, Baggins and Brandybuck.



ARTICLE IV.  Payment to Minors and Incompetents. Except as provided for in Article III, if, pursuant to the terms of this, our Last Will and Testament, any portion of our estate becomes payable to any beneficiary during such beneficiary’s minority, or to any beneficiary who shall have been determined to be incompetent, our Executor, in his sole discretion, shall be authorised to distribute said portion of the estate to a parent or guardian of the beneficiary, or to the person with whom such beneficiary resides, without obligation by the Executor to look to the proper application or use of any payment so made; or the Executor, in his sole discretion, may make distributions in such manner as he believes will best benefit the beneficiary, and also may pay to the beneficiary directly such sums as the Executor shall approve as an allowance; or the Executor, in his sole discretion, may accumulate and hold all or a portion of the assets which otherwise would be distributed to the beneficiary, and distribute said assets to the beneficiary when he or she attains the age of thirty-three (33) years, or upon removal of the incapacity. However, if said beneficiary dies before the age of thirty-three (33) years, or prior to the removal of the incapacity, and no other provision is made in this Will for the passing of such beneficiary’s interest to others, then our Executor shall distribute any accumulated corpus and income to the estate of the beneficiary.

ARTICLE V.  Powers of Executor . In the administration of our estate pursuant to the terms of this, our Last Will and Testament, the Executor shall have the following powers, which may be exercised in whole or in part, and which shall be deemed to be supplementary to and not exclusive of the general powers of executors pursuant to the laws of the Shire, and shall include all powers necessary to put the same into effect. Such powers may be exercised independently and without the prior or subsequent approval of any authority, and nobody dealing with the Executor shall be required to inquire into the propriety of any of his actions.

  1. To retain, in his absolute discretion, and for such period as he shall deem advisable, any and all investments and other properties held by us at the time of our deaths without liability for any loss incurred by reason of the retention of such investments or properties.
  2. To sell, mortgage, pledge, and otherwise dispose of the assets of our estate and of the interests established pursuant to this Will, or any part of said assets, when he deems such action necessary and proper for the purpose of complying with our testamentary desires as herein expressed, and for the purpose of conserving, preserving and maintaining our estate.
  3. With respect to any indebtedness held by either of us at the time of our deaths, to enter into agreements for the alteration of our interest therein, or of the rights and obligations under any contract with respect thereto, in effect at the time of our deaths.
  4. To take any action deemed advisable to enforce, compromise or arbitrate any obligation, lien or other claim held by them, and to agree to any rescission or modification of any contract or agreement.
  5. To hold undivided interests in any other properties held by us or that may form part of our estate at the time of our deaths, or that may be purchased or acquired thereafter on behalf of our estate without being required to make a physical division of any properties which may form a part of our estate at the time of our deaths.
  6. In the event that at the time of either of our deaths either one of us is a member of any partnership, joint venture, or undertaking, whether alone or jointly with one (1) or more persons, we hereby authorise and empower the Executor to carry out and perform the terms of such partnership or joint venture, including furnishing additional assets as may be necessary or desirable in the sole discretion of our Executor, it being our intention that the Executor shall have full power to cooperate with our surviving partner or partners, joint venturers or other persons in such manner as shall be deemed advisable by the Executor, in order that the continuation, development and intention of such partnerships, ventures, or undertakings shall not be prevented or interfered with by virtue of the continued interest therein of our estate.
  7. To loan or borrow money to or for such businesses or business interests which either of us may own at the time of our deaths.
  8. To lease any real estate for such term, or terms, and upon such conditions and in such manner as he may deem advisable, and any lease so made shall be valid and binding for the full term thereof. To make repairs, replacements and improvements, structural or otherwise, to any such real estate; to insure against fire or other risks as he may deem proper. To subdivide real estate, to dedicate same to public use, and to grant easements as he may deem proper.
  9. Whenever required or permitted to divide and distribute any funds under this Will, to make such distributions in money or in kind, or partly in money and partly in kind, and to exercise all powers herein conferred until our estate has been fully distributed.
  10. To employ accountants, attorneys, and such agents as he may deem advisable; to pay reasonable compensation for their services. 
  11. To determine which assets or portion thereof shall be distributed to or for the benefit of each beneficiary of our estate in satisfaction of the share which he or she is entitled to receive under this, our Last Will and Testament. The selection and distribution of assets by the Executor shall be binding and conclusive upon all persons and shall not be subject to question by any beneficiary.



ARTICLE VI.  Appointment of Executor .

  1. In the event that Primula Baggins shall predecease Drogo Baggins, then Drogo Baggins is hereby appointed as her Executor under this Last Will and Testament.
  2. In the event Drogo Baggins shall predecease Primula Baggins, or for any reason shall fail to qualify as Executor hereunder (or having qualified, shall die or resign), or upon the death of Drogo Baggins, then and in such event, Bilbo Baggins shall be appointed as Successor Executor under this Will, in which capacity he shall possess and exercise all powers hereinbefore conferred on our Executor.
  3. In the event Bilbo Baggins shall predecease both of us, or for any reason shall fail to qualify as Executor hereunder (or having qualified, shall die or resign), then and in such event, Saradoc Brandybuck shall be appointed as Successor Executor under this Will, in which capacity he shall possess and exercise all powers hereinbefore conferred on our Executor.



ARTICLE VII.  Appointment of Guardian .

  1. In the event that one of us shall die, then and in that event, we hereby nominate, constitute and appoint our surviving spouse, Drogo Baggins or Primula Baggins, guardian of the our children and their property. We hereby authorize the Guardian to exercise all of the rights, powers and privileges, whether or not discretionary, as are herein conferred upon the Executor of our estate.
  2. Upon the death of both of us or in the event the surviving spouse is unable to serve as Guardian, then and in that event, Bilbo Baggins and Saradoc Brandybuck shall serve as Successor Guardians of our children and their property, under this Will.
  3. In the event that either Bilbo Baggins or Saradoc Brandybuck shall predecease us or is otherwise unable to serve as Guardians, then and in that event, our remaining Guardian, Bilbo Baggins or Saradoc Brandybuck, shall continue to serve alone as Successor Guardian of our children and their property, under this Will.



ARTICLE VIII.  Construction of Will . Wherever the context of any provision of this Will permits, any word in either number shall be construed to mean both singular and plural; any word in the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter; any word in the feminine gender shall include the masculine and neuter;

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I, Drogo Baggins, individually and on behalf of my wife, Primula Baggins, have signed and published this Will this eighth day of Winterfilth, S.R. 1368.

Drogo Baggins, individually and on behalf of Primula Baggins

WITNESSES:

Rorimac Brandybuck Dodinas Brandybuck Gorbulas Brandybuck

Saradas Brandybuck Adalgrim Took Rufus Burrows Paladin Took

This instrument was signed, sealed, published and declared by Drogo Baggins, individually and on behalf of his wife, Primula Baggins, the Testators above named, as and for their Last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, who in his presence and at his request, and in the presence of each other, have hereupon subscribed our names as witnesses, this clause first having been read to us and we now intending to certify that the matters herein specified took place in fact and in the order named. Furthermore, we, the Testator, Drogo Baggins, individually and on behalf of his wife, Primula Baggins, and the witnesses respectively, whose names are signed to the foregoing instrument, do hereby declare to the undersigned officer that the Testator signed the instrument as the Last Will and Testament of Drogo Baggins and Primula Baggins and that he signed voluntarily and that each of the witnesses in the presence of the Testator, at his request, and in the presence of each other, signed the Will as a witness and that to the best of the knowledge of each witness the Testator was at that time thirty-three years or more of age, of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.

Subscribed and acknowledged before me by Drogo Baggins, individually and on behalf of his wife, Primula Baggins, the Testators, and subscribed and sworn to before me by the above witnesses on the eighth day of Winterfilth, S.R. 1368.

Heribert Grubb, Attorney (SEAL)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


	3. Unlocking the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam, Merry and Pippin begin to delve into the items that Frodo left behind, sparking memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The illustration of the recipe box is by Gryffinjack.  
> The illustration of Frodo's Adoption Certificate is by Dreamflower  
> The Author's Notes are very much a part of the story, and we hope you will check them out. (They are included at the end of the story, rather than separately in the end notes, as they exceed the character count allotted for end notes.)  
> Included in the notes for this chapter:  
> The recipes for Bilbo's Honeycakes and for Bilbo's Cinnamon Whirls  
> The full text of Frodo's Adoption Certificate  
> Close-ups of the calligraphed copy of Frodo's Adoption Certificate  
> The full text of the Renunciation signed by Bilbo  
> The full text of Bilbo's Last Will and Testament

**CHAPTER TWO – UNLOCKING THE PAST**  
  
After first breakfast the following morning, which was rather a production with four children to feed, Estella and Rose decided to take the little ones down the Row for a visit. Daisy and her husband had moved into Number Three after Tom and Marigold had finally persuaded the Gaffer to come live with them in their cottage on the Cotton farm in Bywater. Daisy had married young, to Finch Noakes, a carpenter, and her oldest daughter was in her tweens now. She had two other daughters in their teens, and a young son, only a couple of years older than Elanor.  
  
After seeing the wives and children off, Sam, Merry and Pippin closed the door and looked at one another. It was time to tackle the task of going through the strongbox, but after their brief glimpse yesterday, they found themselves reluctant to look at the contents in detail.  
  
There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Pippin said "Well, let's get to it, then. We can't put it off any longer."  
  
Sam nodded. "'It's the job as is never started as takes longest to finish' as the Gaffer always says." But he didn't make any move toward the study door.  
  
Merry shifted uneasily. "Perhaps we should have a bit of second breakfast first..." his voice trailed off at the look on Pippin's face.  
  
"Merry, that's not like you," his cousin said reproachfully.  
  
Throwing his head back, Merry replied, "Yes. Well. Then let's get to it now," and he started for the study, the other two trailing behind him. Pippin looked determined. Sam looked anxious.  
  
Merry sat upon the settee with Sam on a chair across from him. Pippin shoved the strongbox between them, and then, perching at the edge of the settee next to Merry, he turned the key and threw back the lid.  
  
Merry drew out the large framed Marriage Document, and handed it to Sam, who with careful reverence stood it next to his chair. Then they looked at the remaining contents of the box: there was a pouch of red cloth, closed with a drawstring, and obviously holding a number of interesting objects; there was a smaller box of plain dark wood, not more than a hand span in width; and there was a soft bundle which seemed to be tied within a cream coloured wool blanket. Pippin looked at these curiously, but Merry shook his head. "Let's deal with the papers first," he said.  
  
Frodo had apparently taken much care with the contents. There were two bundles of papers which seemed to be legal documents, tied together carefully with red cord. And then there were bundles of letters. Most of them seemed to be tied with either blue or green ribbon, a couple of bundles were tied with red ribbon, and then a few more tied with white ribbon.  
  
Merry's hand went in, and hovered over the legal documents, but then he reached for a bundle of the letters tied with blue ribbon.  
  
Pippin looked at the expression on Merry’s face as he untied the ribbon around the first bundle of letters and then opened one. It reminded Pippin of the look he had seen on his cousin’s face the day Frodo had first awakened in Ithilien: a combination of profound pain and deepest joy. Merry gave an audible gulp, and then read one. He bit his lip, and with his hand shaking, he passed it to Pippin.  
  
Pippin glanced down at a handwriting that was childish and round, on a page marred with tiny black fingerprints, and with the old and yellowing blots of tearstains. He felt tears sting his own eyes, as he glanced down at the evidence of life before he himself had ever existed:  
  
_“Dear Frodo,  
Your room is very ~~emtey~~ empty. It makes loud noises now when I am in there. Mum says we must find some things to put in there for when you visit.  
  
I wish you could come home. But Da says you are home now at Bag End.  
~~I hate Cousin Bilbo.~~ No. I’m sorry. I don’t really. Don’t be mad. I miss you.  
  
Love,  
  
Cousin Merry”_  
  
Pippin bit his own lip, and glanced at Merry, who was reading it over his shoulder with a wry smile, and tears filling his eyes.  
  
“The spring of the year Bilbo adopted Frodo,” said Merry. “I was here, you see, when it took place, and Mum, Da and I stayed on to visit for a few days. It wasn’t until I got back home to Brandy Hall and had to face Frodo’s empty room that it really struck me. Up until then, I had rather clung to the hope that he would be back.”  
  
Pippin reached over, took the rest of the bundle, and began to thumb through it. Then he looked inside the box. There were several more bundles, some tied with blue ribbon, others with green. Merry picked up one of the bundles tied with green ribbon, and held it out to Pippin. “Recognise the handwriting on these?”  
  
Pippin’s jaw dropped as he looked at the spiky ill-formed letters on top of the first letter of the first bundle, and then at the still spiky, but more legible hand on top of another bundle. There were not nearly so many green-tied bundles as blue. “Those are _my_ letters! Merry--he must have kept every single letter we ever sent to him.”  
  
Sam had been watching them in silent sympathy.  "Do you see now why I thought the things in this box had ought to go to blood kin?"  He blushed.  He felt as though he had been eavesdropping on family business, and heard more than he should have.  "I'll leave you to it, then," he said.  
  
Merry looked up sharply, and shook his head.  "No, please stay, Sam.  You may not be 'blood kin', but you are family all the same."  
  
"Yes," put in Pippin. "These things concern you as well. And--well, I rather think Frodo would have liked you to be here when we do this." He gave Sam a wistful smile.  
  
"Well, if you really think so--". Sam's reluctance had faded at the cousins’ earnest appeal. And Merry's statement that he was "family"--well, perhaps it was not proper, but it gave Sam a warm feeling all the same.  
  
“Here’s some from your mum and da,” said Pippin. He handed them to Merry. “And--oh goodness! Merry, here’s one from you to _Bilbo_!” Pippin laughed. “Whatever did you have to say to him at so young an age--it says on the envelope ‘FRODO! DO NOT OPEN!!!’ What in the world did you have to say to Bilbo that you couldn’t to Frodo?”  
  
Merry looked briefly puzzled, and then alarmed, as Pippin took it from its envelope. He started to snatch it away, but Pippin held it out of his reach.  
  
_“ ‘Dear Cousin Bilbo,  
  
Since you get to have Frodo now you had better take good care of him…’ ”_  
  
“My word, Merry! You were just as bossy then as you are now!”  
  
“Pippin!” Merry’s face flamed.  
  
Sam put a hand to his mouth to hide his grin.  
  
As Pippin kept reading, laughing at Merry’s childish spelling errors, Merry put a hand over his face to hide his embarrassment.  
  
_“ ‘If this is too much ~~trubblel~~ trouble for you then you can give him back to me.’_ Nice try, Merry! Did you really think it would work?”  
  
Merry shook his head, and then finally smiled. “Well, I suppose I hoped it would. I’m afraid that however fond of Bilbo I was, I was also rather jealous of him for a while.” He looked rather wistful as he said that, and Pippin felt remorseful for his teasing.  
  
“Poor old Merry,” he said, “it must have been very hard for you to lose Frodo like that, when he’d been living with you all along. However lonesome I got for you when we were apart, I always knew you lived in Buckland and I lived in Tookland--it wasn’t quite the same, was it?”  
  
“No, I suppose not. But I soon learnt how much happier he was here. And I began to trust Bilbo to take care of him.” He looked up at Sam. “And I knew you were taking care of him, too, even then. I knew I could trust you to take care of him.”  
  
Sam’s eyes widened. “Did you really, Merry?” he asked softly. That was an awful nice thing for Merry to say. Sam knew very well how hard it was for Merry to trust Frodo to anyone else.  
  
“Of course I did. After all, we both knew Frodo was the most splendid hobbit in the Shire.”  
  
Sam grinned, remembering his first conversation with Merry, playing in the garden at Bag End, and finding out what they had in common. Friendship had come easy in those days, when they’d both been far too young to pay attention to things like the differences between gentry and working hobbits.  
  
Suddenly Merry’s hand snaked out and snagged a letter. “Pip! Here’s one _you_ wrote to Bilbo!  
_  
‘Dear Cousin Bilbo  
  
Mother says rite you and say I am sory. Look in my rum. I dident meen to but she says I better tell you to shut the windo and get the bread and jam out from under the bed.  
  
I love you hug Frodo and Merry for me.  
  
Your cousin Pippin’_  
  
"Oh!” Merry howled with laughter. “I remember when this letter came!”  
  
Sam began to laugh as well. “So do I! Bilbo sent for my mother to help him with getting the ants out of the room! What a mess!”  
  
Pippin smirked, though his face was quite as red as Merry’s had been. He gave a lop-sided grin. “I remembered that, though. I didn't have to apologise to Lotho and Lobelia--and I did mean to do it _that_ time!”  
  
“What are you talking about, you daft Took?” asked Merry, wiping tears of laughter from the corner of one eye.  
  
“Why, just that it gave me the idea to leave the S.-Bs a little hole-warming gift when they moved into Bag End. I left a dish of honey under the bed in Gandalf’s room, after propping the window open. I do believe I even left a jar of ants in there to get things started!”  
  
Sam’s jaw dropped. “Mr. Pippin!” he exclaimed, forgetting in his surprise to leave the honorific off.  
  
“Yes, I’m quite proud to say I did that just before we left to go to Crickhollow. I just wish I could have seen Lobelia’s face when she found out!”  
  
Merry plucked out another envelope, a bit larger than the others, and addressed in a spidery old-fashioned hand, with the characteristic Buckland "y"s. "Here's one from Uncle Dinny. I'd recognize his handwriting anywhere. Do you suppose he was setting Frodo lessons?" Merry smirked.  
  
Curious, he opened it, and drew out the documents. There were two--one, a small note on a bit of nice linen stationary, and the other, in an entirely different hand, though equally familiar, written on old-fashioned classroom foolscap. Merry angled the paper so that Pippin could not see. Pippin who was still chuckling a bit over the memory of putting one over on the Sackville-Bagginses, did not notice.  
  
_"3 Winterfilth, S.R. 1405  
Brandy Hall  
Buckland  
  
My Dear Frodo,  
  
I was most amused by this essay, a first attempt by my newest pupil. I thought that you would appreciate seeing it, and that it would not only amuse you, but warm your heart as well.  
  
Fond regards,  
  
Your old tutor,  
  
Uncle Dinny"_  
  
Merry glanced slyly at Pippin, and then began to read from the other page--  
  
_"I have a lot of family. I have my father and mother and three sisters. My father is Paladin Took, and my mother is Eglantine Took, who used to be a Banks before she married my father. My sisters are Pearl, Pimpernel and Pervinca. We call Pimpernel ‘Pimmie’ and Pervinca we call ‘Vinca’, but we just call Pearl ‘Pearl’.”_  
  
"Oi!" Pippin cried sharply, trying to snatch at the paper. Merry held it back out of his way, grinning. Pippin tried to reach for it.  
  
Just then the clock on the mantelpiece struck nine. "Lawks!" exclaimed Merry. “It’s time for second breakfast already!" He gave a reluctant look at the box, for now that they'd finally started, he did not really want to stop yet.  
  
"Why don't I fetch us a little something in here, then?" asked Sam, starting to rise.  
  
"No," added Pippin. "You stay put, Sam. I'll go fetch it!" Pippin was worried that Sam would not stay with them if he began to act the host. Sam would probably try to make an elaborate meal, and then insist on cleaning up after. And Pippin did not want to go on without Sam, now they'd made a good beginning. "I'm sure I can find something in your larder that will do--no need for cooking." Without waiting for Sam's agreement, he got up with alacrity, and headed for the kitchen. Behind him, he heard Merry chuckle and say "You'll have to move faster than that, Sam, if you want to keep Pippin out of a larder..."  
  
Pippin needn't have worried. Apparently, Rose and Estella had anticipated things. On the table was a tray, covered with a tea towel. He lifted the cloth and found bread, cheese, fruit, and cold sliced ham, along with three plates. All he needed to do was put the kettle on and make the tea, which he did, whistling cheerily. He poured the hot water from the kettle into the teapot and made the tea. Then he added the teapot and teacups to the tray, and carried it back to the study. As he approached, he heard Merry and Sam laughing heartily, and he wondered what they had found while he was off in the kitchen.  
  
He brought the tray in, and set it on a small table next to Sam's chair. "Whatever is so funny?" he asked.  
  
Merry snorted and wiped his eyes, still chuckling. "Oh, just the letters a certain twenty year old cousin of mine wrote the year he was confined at home for the summer!"  
  
Pippin's face flamed. "Gracious! Why would he save those? That's something I'd rather forget myself, actually!"  
  
Sam, who was grinning, said "Mr. Frodo told me all about what happened! You gave them all such a fright. But those letters are a caution, I must say!"  
  
Merry began to read:  
_  
“Dear Merry and Frodo,  
I certainly didn’t mean to get into any more trouble than I am already, and I really didn’t mean to make Pimmie and Vinca so mad at me. But it was funny to see them jump when the crickets came out of the sugar bowl.  
I’m back in my room for the next two days.  
Love,  
Your cousin,  
Pippin” _  
  
"That's hardly fair!" said Pippin. But his lips were twitching with the ghost of a smile. "But, come to think of it, it _was_ funny to see them jump! And Vinca let out with a word that Mother was not at all happy to hear!" He smirked now.  
  
"What about this one, Merry?" said Sam.  
_  
“Dear Merry and Frodo,  
Frodo, don’t be too mad at Merry for that trick he played on you. I’m sure the molasses will come out of your shirt, and it’s not like you don’t have plenty of shirts anyway. I wish I’d seen your face though.  
And Merry, it’s not fair to be having that kind of fun without me.”_  
  
Now Merry smirked. "As Pippin said, he had plenty of shirts. And being cross with me made him forget all about that rather disastrous meeting with Lotho and Lobelia earlier in the day."  
  
Sam picked up one of the letters and grinned after he read it. “I remember when this one came!  
  
_“Dear Merry,  
Don’t show this one to Frodo. Do you know what he’s got me for his birthday? Don’t tell me you haven’t snooped. I know you have.  
And don’t tell Frodo, but I am learning a special song to play for him at his party.  
Love,  
Your cousin,  
Pippin” _  
  
Merry let out a snort of laughter. “Yes, that was a fine position you put me in, Pip. Frodo had the mail from the posthobbit and had seen your spiky excuse for handwriting on the envelope. I couldn’t stuff it into my pocket quick enough after I read it.”  
  
Sam chuckled and shook his head at the memory. “That’s just how it was. I was bringing in a basket of strawberries for luncheon when I met Mr. Frodo coming up the walkway with the post. He allowed as how there was a letter in there for Merry from you, Pippin. I don’t know which was redder, Merry’s face after he hid your letter or them strawberries. But Mr. Frodo, he just gave one of them little knowing smiles of his and turned and went into the study with the rest of the post.”  
  
“I’m sorry, Merry. I never meant to make things difficult for you,” said Pippin, stuffing down a chuckle of his own. “Well, I suppose that summer wasn’t all bad. I _did_ learn to play the lap harp and the Tookland pipes after all.”  
  
“I was just glad Frodo got Uncle Paladin to let me say ‘goodbye’ to you and that you learnt your lesson,” said Merry. “Why you would have ever listened to those Banks cousins of yours is still beyond me.”  
  
There was an awkward silence between the cousins as Pippin’s face coloured as he looked down as he remembered that long ago incident.  
  
Reading Pippin’s embarrassment and hoping to end the discussion, Sam said, “Seeing as how Mr. Freddy and the others escorted them villains out of the Shire and took them to see Strider, I reckon Pippin don’t have to worry about them cousins of his no more.”  
  
Merry nodded. “You’re right, Sam,” and put a comforting arm around Pippin, who turned toward him and smiled briefly before picking up a few of the letters in a different stack and looking at the different handwritings on some of the those letters.  
  
“Do you suppose some of these other folk would like their letters back? It might make a nice memento. Especially knowing Frodo had cared enough about them to keep their correspondence?” Merry flipped through several more letters. “Here are some from Freddy and a few from some of your sisters, Pippin, and--” his voice faltered briefly, “--a couple from Folco. Maybe Folco’s parents or Freddy would like those.”  
  
There was a brief silence, and Pippin blinked and Sam shook his head sadly, as they remembered their friend, so cruelly murdered by ruffians during the Troubles. “Yes, I know they would.”  
  
The three hobbits spent a few minutes quietly sorting through some of the correspondence from others, pausing only briefly to organise them into piles from various people. In addition to letters from Freddy Bolger and Folco Boffin, there were a few from Pippin's sisters and some of Frodo's other cousins. There was quite a stack apparently from Merry's parents, and Merry put them to one side. He wanted to look at those.  
  
They were thoroughly absorbed in their task, and so were given quite a start when they heard the front door bang open, and the patter of running feet. Rose's voice was remonstrating--"Elanor Gamgee! You come right back out here and go through that door properly, little Miss!" And then there was Estella's warm chuckle as she said "Rose, I see what I have to look forward to as soon as mine learn how to run."  
  
Sam stood up. "It's time for elevenses, I'm thinking. Mayhap we could all use a break?"  
  
Pippin nodded, carefully putting aside the stack of letters he had been going through, and glancing at the tray from which they had all been nibbling. It was quite empty. "I'm getting a bit peckish again, so I daresay you're right, Sam."  
  
Merry agreed to this. The last of the tea in his cup had gone quite cold. "I think elevenses is a _splendid_ idea! And, Sam, our wives are going to want to feed us and then fill us in on all their doings this morning!"  
  
Sam piled the cups back on the tray, and picking it up, followed Merry and Pippin out of the study and into the kitchen.  
  
Little Perry and Frodo-lad were lying companionably on a blanket on the opposite side of the kitchen from the hearth, and little Elanor was ensconced with Wyn in one of the rocking chairs, attempting to tell the squirming baby a story. Rose and Estella had donned aprons and were bustling about the kitchen. Sam went up behind Rose and embraced her, while Merry claimed a brief kiss from Estella. Pippin watched them, chuckling, and then turned his attention to Elanor and Wyn.  
  
It seemed like no time at all before the Gamgees, Brandybucks, and Pippin were all seated around the kitchen table enjoying a meal of fried apples and onions, three bean salad, a jar of pickles from Daisy, and Pincup sharp cheese with brown bread, with yesterday’s shortbread for dessert. As usual for hobbits, all discussion was limited to the delicious food before them, comments such as the virtues of the Pincup sharp cheese versus the Buckland Blue of which Merry was so fond. By the time Sam had returned with a pitcher of ale, Pippin was rolling the cheese into little balls before popping it into his mouth, as was his custom for filling up the corners.  
  
“Daisy mentioned as how last time she saw Tom and Marigold, they said that the Gaffer had insisted on planting all the flowers in the flowerboxes, Sam. Bluebells, daisies, and marigolds, to be sure, but also some thistle and forget-me-nots,” Rose said while she poured fresh cups of tea for Estella and herself.  
  
Sam turned from the kitchen counter where he was standing and looked his wife in surprise. “Planting the flowerboxes? Well if that don’t beat all! I don’t recollect him mentioning it to us last time Tom and Marigold brought him over for a visit. At his age and he still wants to be useful instead of letting others do for him.”  
  
“That’s your Gaffer, Sam!” exclaimed Merry, thumping his glass of ale down on the table. “He never was one to sit idle.”  
  
“Idle hands makes an idle heart,” quoted Sam as he reached over to the sideboard and pulled out a small, rectangular, wooden box that had been painted yellow.  
  
“Is that what I think it is?” asked Pippin, rising in excitement from his chair and going to get a closer look at the old box. Even though the yellow paint was old and chipped, a large letter “B” in blue paint could still clearly be seen on the front of the box, and there was a painting of a smial on the top--it could easily have been Bag End.  
  
Merry had also now joined his cousin, who was opening the lid and looking inside with a peculiar smile of recognition on his face.  
  
“Aye. It’s Mr. Bilbo’s old receipt box, all right,” said Sam with a nervous smile. “I found it here on the sideboard, just there where I got it from, when I got back after Mr. Frodo … left. I hope it’s all right that I kept it!” Sam added quickly. “Samwise, you ninnyhammer! What would your old Gaffer say! I know as how I should have said something or given it to one of you, seeing as you are kin and I ain’t, but, well …”  
  
“No, Sam. You were right to keep it here. It is part of Bag End,” Merry interrupted before Sam could continue berating himself.

   
[](http://photobucket.com/)

  
Pippin nodded and placed a gentle hand on Sam’s shoulder to reassure him. “Frodo would have wanted it that way. He wanted you to be Master of Bag End, and you can’t rightly be Master of Bag End unless you can serve Bag End food to your guests!” His eyes twinkled brightly as his face broke into a large grin.  
  
“That’s right, cousin,” added Merry. “And the only way to cook Bag End food is to have Bag End receipts. So you see, Sam, you really must keep Bilbo’s receipt box.”  
  
“Just remember that since our great-grandmother was a Baggins, Merry and I have a right to any receipt in that box that we want. Right, Merry?” Pippin said cheekily.  
  
“Of course. Thank goodness for Great-Grandmum Rosa!” Merry chimed in.  
  
Sam felt very much relieved and broke into a large grin of his own. “Any time, _Mr. Merry. Mr. Pippin._ ” Merry and Pippin gave him a swift look of reproach, but smiled again when they saw the gleam of mischief in Sam’s eyes. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but I reckon you’re right. Bag End just wouldn’t be the same, would it?”  
  
“It certainly would not,” replied Merry. He reached into the box and pulled a receipt out at random and looked at it. “Cinnamon whirls! Mmm! Estella, make sure we copy this down. I haven’t had cinnamon whirls since Bilbo left! He made some for me that day Lotho knocked me to the ground and Frodo bloodied his nose for him. Ah, those cinnamon whirls were grand!”  
  
“Forget about the cinnamon whirls, look! Bilbo’s receipt for stuffed mushrooms!” exclaimed Pippin, who was suddenly hungry again. “And here’s one for the noodles and cheese Frodo used to make! He even made it for me when I was sick to try to get me to eat.”  
  
“I heard Mr. Bilbo once tell Mr. Frodo that that there receipt was one that Mr. Bungo used to make when Bilbo was a lad,” Sam volunteered.  
  
“What are you going to make, Sam?” asked Pippin, the receipt for taffy apples poised in his hand.  
  
“I was fixing to make some of Mr. Bilbo’s honeycakes. I reckoned they’d be a right treat to have with afternoon tea, especially after going through more of that strongbox of Mr. Frodo’s.”  
  
“That’s a fine idea, Sam!” exclaimed Rose. The three hobbits turned to look at her. They had been so busy with the discovery of Bilbo’s old receipt box that they had forgotten all about Rose and Estella. “You make the honeycakes while Estella and me put the younglings down for a kip.”  
  
While Rose and Estella took care of the four children, Sam, Merry, and Pippin prepared the honeycakes. Sam soon was sorry he had given into Pippin’s pleas to allow them to help with Bilbo’s receipt. It was not long before the entire floor of the kitchen as well as the counters, and table were covered in flour. And to make matters worse, not only had Merry and Pippin managed to cover themselves in flour, too, but they had also got some on Sam, including in his hair, despite his best efforts to avoid the flour as the two cousins acted as if they were teens again.  
  
Still, they quickly had the lovely honeycakes set out to rise, and went to work on the kitchen. By the time they were finished, it was as clean as a whistle, beneath the amused looks of Rose and Estella. Cleaning themselves took a few moments longer, as they had to stick their heads under the pump, to emerge with wet and glistening curls.  
  
“Now,” said Rose, as she laughingly towelled Sam’s head, “you lot shoo right on back to the study. We’ll see to putting the honeycakes in the oven when they’re ready.”  
  
“Indeed,” said Estella, who paused in rubbing Merry’s head, to toss a dry towel at Pippin as he emerged from the water spluttering. “Rose, you’ve no idea of the mess they make at home whenever it’s their turn to cook.”  
  
Merry gave her a buss on the cheek. “I don’t hear you complaining, my heart, when it’s time to eat!”  
  
“Yes, Estella! And you have to admit, we always clean up!” Pippin added indignantly.  
  
“So you do, Pip! But you’ve other tasks to see to now. So off with the three of you, and leave the rest of the kitchen to us lasses. We’ll call you when luncheon is ready!”

  
*******

  
“I suppose,” Merry said, as they entered the study once more, “that we should look at a few of these legal documents.”  
  
Pippin looked disappointed--those would not be nearly so interesting as the letters had proven to be, but before he could say so, Sam was nodding his agreement.  
  
“I know what this one is.” Merry picked up a large leather folder, and opened it. While not as elaborate as the Marriage Document for Primula and Drogo, it too was lovingly calligraphed and illuminated. It was the Certificate of Adoption, when Bilbo had adopted Frodo. It was fully visible on the right-hand side of the folder, while on the left, tucked into a pocket were two other folded documents. “Frodo always kept it standing on top of his dresser, where he could see it.”

Frodo's Adoption Certificate:  
  
[](http://photobucket.com/)

  
“I never noticed those before,” said Pippin, pointing to the two folded papers.  
  
“Me neither,” said Sam.  
  
Merry took one out and unfolded it. “This seems to be the paper Bilbo signed renouncing any interest in Frodo’s inheritances.”  
  
Sam looked puzzled, but Pippin nodded.  
  
Merry explained. “You know that by Shire law all the property of a minor belongs to the parents?”  
  
“Of course. ‘Tis only proper.”  
  
“Well, Bilbo wanted to make sure that Frodo got all that was coming to him from his parents, and he wanted to support Frodo himself. So he had this made out,” continued Merry. “Of course, I don’t think Bilbo would have touched any of Frodo’s property anyway, but by having it all taken care of legally, it would show everyone else that his motives in adopting Frodo had nothing to do with money.”  
  
“Frodo had my father sign something similar when he gave Crickhollow to Merry and me.” Pippin glanced over at the folder. “So, what is that other document, then?”  
  
Merry pulled it out and unfolded it, raising an eyebrow. “It seems to be a copy of Bilbo’s Will. Frodo must have placed both these in here when he packed this box.” He smiled to himself, and chuckled. “You know, that was a lot of fun, the party Bilbo threw when he adopted Frodo.”  
  
Sam grinned. “It was at that! Remember those fireworks from old Gandalf? That was the first time I ever seen fireworks!”  
  
“They were pretty magnificent. The food was good, too. But I remember being rather cross at having to eat in the kitchen with all the children, while Frodo was in the dining room with the grown-ups.”  
  
“So  _that_ was why you was scowling so! I wondered at that--I thought mayhap as you was having to eat something you didn’t like.”  
  
Merry chuckled. “I didn’t realise anyone noticed--especially with poor Freddy trying to hush Folco up all the time.”  
  
At this, Sam gave a hearty laugh. “He tried real hard. But then Master Folco went and embarrassed my sister Daisy…”  
  
_Sam didn’t recollect when in all of his nine years the kitchen at Bag End had ever been so busy with a flurry of activity as his mother and Daisy scurried to take platters and bowls heaped with the finest Sam had ever seen out to the main dining room where all of the adults were eating. How he wished he could be out there to with the big folks and Frodo, though, of course, that wouldn’t be proper.  
  
He sighed to himself at the kitchen table where all of the lads and lasses including him were seated for their meal. There was a large platter piled high with roast chicken, a deep dish filled with shepherd’s pie, and Tookland sausage rolls. Various vegetable dishes covered the table including a mushroom pudding, glazed carrots, peas and onions, herbed green beans, fried mushrooms and onions, piping hot bubble and squeak.  
  
It just was not proper for the likes of him or his sisters, Daisy and Marigold, to be sitting at the same table as all of these gentlehobbit children and eating such fancy fare, though he couldn’t figure out why Merry looked so cross. The only thing he could reckon was that Merry was having to eat something he didn’t like. Well, that was to be expected, what with them Bucklanders being so peculiar, as his Gaffer always said.  
  
Sam turned his attention back away from Master Frodo’s cousin and took a bite into one of the two slices of cobblestone bread he had taken. All thoughts of propriety disappeared as the buttery goodness melted in his mouth. But then his revelry in the delicious meal was disturbed as he heard Master Folco Boffin begin to speak to Master Freddy Bolger.  
  
“That sure was a strange thing we saw this morning while we were out taking our walk around the hill, Fatty,” Master Folco began before taking another mouthful of the bubble and squeak.  
  
Master Freddy looked like he was trying to think of what Master Folco could be meaning. Cautiously, he asked, “What thing?”  
  
“Over by Bagshot Row. Don’t you remember? The lass who was playing with her laundry?”  
  
Master Freddy paused and looked up at the other children at the table, his fork with the speared piece of roast chicken on it stopped halfway to his mouth. “You should be concentrating on your food, Folco.”  
  
Sam followed Master Freddy’s gaze. Across the table from Master Freddy, Sam’s sister, Daisy was seated next to their little sister, Marigold. While six year old Marigold was happily eating, Sam noted that their big sister was not. In fact, she had gone pale and was staring wide-eyed at Master Folco.  
  
“Aw, Fatty, don’t act like an old gaffer!” exclaimed Master Folco. “Don’t you remember? That lass who was folding all of that laundry, including the smallclothes, outdoors under a tree.”  
  
Daisy gasped audibly and began to tremble slightly.  
  
“Daisy? Are you well?” Sam asked her, putting the back of his hand to her forehead, the way his mother always did to him when he was ill.  
  
“I … I’m fine, Sam,” she said in a weak voice.  
  
“But you’re cheeks are all red!” All of the other children were now looking at Daisy except for Merry, who must really be quite cross about having to eat whatever was on his plate. The little lad couldn’t even bear to look at his plate, but instead kept glaring out the kitchen door toward where his mother, the other grown-ups, and Frodo were all eating their dinners.  
  
“Oh, she’s fine!” Master Folco exclaimed happily. “She’s just surprised that anyone would fold her family’s smallclothes outdoors in plain view of everyone.”  
  
“Folco…” Master Freddy said in a warning voice. It was odd; even though Master Freddy was the same age as Master Folco, Sam had the impression that Master Freddy really was the older one.  
  
“But the funniest part was the way she was doing the folding!” continued Master Folco, totally ignoring Master Freddy as if he hadn’t spoken at all. “This lass, she must have been about sixteen, seventeen years old … anyway, this lass would dance around under the tree with all of the laundry dancing around her, bending and dipping to where the smallclothes had just been, as if she was going to swing it about, only to have the smallclothes run away from her at the last second. It was very funny!”  
  
Daisy was blushing even redder now, and seemed to Sam to be trembling a bit.  
  
Sam was really getting concerned about the strange way his sister was acting. But it would not be proper for him to take Daisy from the table when the meal was only half-way over and all of these gentlehobbit children were still seated at the table.  
  
"Folco!" said Fatty desperately, "here! Why don't you try some of this mushroom pudding? You haven't tried that yet."  
  
Folco finally allowed himself to be distracted by the food, and the conversation began to shift. Sam looked over at his older sister. "Daisy?" he asked softly.  
  
Daisy swallowed and tried to put a smile on her face. “I’ll be all right, Sam. Best eat your food before it gets cold.” That was Daisy, always acting so grown up and bossing him around even though she was only seventeen.  
  
“I was only trying to help!” exclaimed Sam.  
  
“I know that, but I’m fine, really,” she said unconvincingly. Was her face perspiring?  
  
Master Freddy seemed relieved that the conversation had switched and Master Folco was no longer speaking when …  
  
“The thing is,” Master Freddy’s fork clanked onto his plate and he inhaled deeply. “Those clothes she was folding, not the hobbits’ smallclothes, but the other ones she was folding into her basket, they sure looked an awful lot like Frodo’s and Bilbo’s best breeches and westkits…”  
  
Daisy looked horrified, her cheeks growing an even darker shade of red as she struggled to breathe.  
  
Master Freddy rose quickly and put an arm underneath his cousin’s arm, forcing him to get up from the table. “Come on, Folco. I think we’ve had enough to eat. Besides, maybe we can get a peak at that table loaded with desserts. I think I saw an applesauce cake on there.”  
  
“But Fatty! I’ve only had three helpings of everything! I haven’t even begun to fill in the corners!”  
  
“Ah, but we want to make sure we know where all the best desserts are, don’t we?”  
  
“Well, yes, but … I suppose you’re right, Fatty.” Master Folco quickly stuffed the rest of his third helping of mushroom pie into his mouth and followed Master Freddy out of the kitchen._  
  
“It weren’t until a few days later that I could finally get it out of poor Daisy that she had been bringing Mr. Bilbo’s and Mr. Frodo’s laundry back to Bag End so as everything would be clean for the party, when the wind blew some of Mr. Frodo’s smallclothes out of her basket and she had to try and grab it back. But the more she grabbed at it, the more the wind carried it into the air, even a pair of Mr. Bilbo’s smallclothes, so as I reckon it looked to poor Mr. Folco like she was dancing with them smallclothes,” Sam explained.  
  
“Frodo’s and Bilbo’s smallclothes were blowing around the Shire and I missed it?” asked Pippin. “Sometimes, it’s a real hardship to be the youngest.”  
  
Now all three of them were laughing, when there was a tiny rap on the door, and it opened to admit little Elanor, who ran over and jumped in her father’s lap.  
  
“Daddy! Mam says it’s time for lunch!”

 

  **AUTHOR'S END NOTES:**

**BILBO’S HONEYCAKES**  
  
Dough:  
1/3 cup cream  
¼ cup water  
¼ cup honey  
¼ cup butter  
1 egg  
½ teaspoon salt  
2 2/3 cups bread flour  
2 teaspoons yeast  
¼ cup raisins (or currants or other small dried fruit or berries  
  
Glaze:  
4 Tablespoons honey  
2 Tablespoons butter

  
  
Combine dough ingredients except for raisins. When well mixed to form a ball, turn out onto a floured surface. Add the raisins, and then knead into the dough. Knead for about 5 minutes.  
  
Let dough rest for about 30 minutes or so, and then divide into eight equal portions. Form into round flattened cakes, cover and let rise for about 45 minutes (or until doubled) in a warm draught-free place.  
  
Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. While baking, warm the honey and butter until the butter melts. Brush the glaze onto the warm cakes when they are done. If you want, you can let the first “brush on” set a few minutes and then brush on another coat.

**BILBO’S CINNAMON WHIRLS**  
  
Ingredients:  
2 cups biscuit mix  
2 tablespoons margarine (melted)  
½ cup brown sugar  
1 teaspoon cinnamon  
¼ cup raisins

  
  
Set oven for 425 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Prepare biscuit mix as directed on package. Roll out on a lightly floured board, in rectangle about 8 X 16 inches. Brush with melted margarine. Combine remaining ingredients and sprinkle over dough. Roll up like jelly roll and press long edge firmly to keep from unrolling. Cut in one-inch slices. Place cut side up, in pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Makes about 16.  
  
  
**ADOPTION CERTIFICATE OF FRODO BAGGINS  
  
BY  
  
BILBO BAGGINS**

  
  
Whereas, Drogo and Primula Baggins, were the parents of Frodo Baggins; and  
  
Whereas Drogo and Primula Baggins died on the thirtieth day of Rethe, 1380 S.R. leaving said Frodo Baggins, a minor, without any living parents; and  
  
Whereas I, Bilbo Baggins, am the first cousin once removed of Frodo Baggins on his mother’s side and the second cousin once removed on his father’s side; and  
  
Whereas I, Bilbo Baggins, desire to adopt Frodo Baggins as if he were my own child and make him my heir; and  
  
Whereas I, Bilbo Baggins, am Co-Guardian along with Saradoc Brandybuck of the minor, Frodo Baggins and believe this adoption to be in the best interests of the minor, Frodo Baggins;  
  
Now therefore, this is to certify that I, Bilbo Baggins, hereby agree to and do adopt my cousin, Frodo Baggins, a minor, as my ward and heir on this thirthieth day of Rethe, 1389.  
  
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I, Bilbo Baggins, have signed and published this ADOPTION CERTIFICATE this thirtieth day of Rethe,S.R. 1389.

BILBO BAGGINS

  
  
Be it known that I, Saradoc Brandybuck, being the hobbit named and appointed by Drogo and Primula Baggins, deceased, as the Co-Guardian along with Bilbo Baggins of Frodo Baggins, a minor, hereby agree and consent to the adoption of Frodo Baggins by Bilbo Baggins and further state that such adoption is in the best interests of the minor, Frodo Baggins.  
  
WITNESS my signature this thirtieth day of Rethe, S.R. 1389.

SARADOC BRANDYBUCK  
Co-Guardian of Frodo Baggins

 

WITNESSES:  
  
PALADIN TOOK PONTO BAGGINS PORTO BAGGINS  
  
ODOVOCAR BOLGER GRIFFO BOFFIN MILO BURROWS ODO PROUDFOOT

  
  
Subscribed and acknowledged before me by Bilbo Baggins, the adopting parent and Co-Guardian of Frodo Baggins, Saradoc Brandybuck, the Co-Guardian of Frodo Baggins, and subscribed and sworn to before me by the above witnesses on the thirtieth day of Rethe, S.R. 1389.  
  
Now therefore be it known that from this time hence, FrodoBaggins is hereby officially adopted by Bilbo Baggins, with all rights and entitlements thereto.  
  
WITNESS my signature and seal this thirtieth day of Rethe, S.R. 1389.

HERIBERT GRUBB(SEAL)  
Heribert Grubb, Attorney

 

 

[ ](http://photobucket.com/)

 

 

[ ](http://photobucket.com/)

**RENUNCIATION**

  
  
RENUNCIATION made this 30th day of Rethe, S.R. 1389, by Bilbo Baggins, an adult, of Hobbiton located in the Westfarthing of the Shire.

W I T N E S S E T H:

  
  
Whereas, Drogo and Primula Baggins, were the parents of Frodo Baggins; and  
  
Whereas Drogo and Primula Baggins died on the 30th day of Rethe, S.R. 1380, each leaving an inheritance to said Frodo Baggins, a minor; and  
  
Whereas I, Bilbo Baggins, have this date adopted said Frodo Baggins as if he were my own child and am making him my heir;  
  
Now therefore, this is to certify that I, Bilbo Baggins, hereby disaffirm and renounce all present and future right, interest, and ownership of any and all possessions and inheritances that my cousin, adopted ward, and heir, Frodo Baggins, a minor, has received from his parents, Drogo and Primula Baggins.  
  
Furthermore, this is to certify that Frodo Baggins shall be allowed to draw ten (10) silver pennies per annum from his inheritance from his father, Drogo Baggins, to be used solely in his own and unfettered discretion.  
  
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I, Bilbo Baggins, have signed and published this Renunciation this 30th day of Rethe, S.R., 1389.

BILBO BAGGINS  
  
WITNESSES:  
  
SARADOC BRANDYBUCK PALADIN TOOK PONTO BAGGINS  
  
  
ODOVOCAR BOLGER GRIFFO BOFFIN MILO BURROWS ODO PROUDFOOT  
  
Subscribed to and acknowledged before me by Bilbo Baggins and subscribed and sworn to before me by the above witnesses on the 30th day of Rethe, S.R. 1389.  
  
HERIBERT GRUBB (SEAL)  
Heribert Grubb, Attorney  
  
  
  
**LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT  
  
OF  
  
BILBO BAGGINS **  
  
  
Be it remembered that I, Bilbo Baggins, a resident of Hobbiton, located in the West Farthing of the Shire, being of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, and mindful of the uncertainties of this life, do hereby make, publish and declare this document as my Last Will and Testament, and hereby revoke all former wills and testaments or writings and codicils thereto, by me made.  
  
ARTICLE I. Funeral Expense. It is my desire that all of my funeral expenses be paid out of the assets of my estate as soon as practicable after my death, and I order and direct that any members of my family who have disbursed their personal funds for the payment of my funeral expenses be reimbursed promptly by my Executor.  
  
ARTICLE II. Personal Effects. I hereby give, devise, and bequeath all of my personal effects, furniture, furnishings, smialhold goods, silverware, china, Elven books, and ornaments not otherwise disposed of to my dear cousin and heir, Frodo Baggins. In the event that my cousin and heir, Frodo Baggins, shall predecease me, then and in that event, upon my death, that cousin’s portion of all of my personal effects, furniture, furnishings, smialhold goods, silverware, mathoms, Elven books, and ornaments not otherwise disposed of shall be distributed equally amongst all of the children of my cousin and heir, Frodo Baggins.  
  
ARTICLE III. Specific Bequests. I hereby give, devise, and bequeath Bag End to the head of the Baggins family, my cousin and heir, Frodo Baggins.  
  
ARTICLE IV. Disposition of Residuary.  
  
A. Upon my death, all of the rest, residue, and residuary of my estate, herein referred to as my Residuary Estate, be it real property, personal property or mixed, wherever situated, of which I may die seized or possessed, or to which I may be or become in any way entitled or have any interest, shall be distributed to my dear cousin and heir, Frodo Baggins.  
  
B. In the event that my cousin and heir, Frodo Baggins, shall predecease me, then and in that event, my Residuary Estate shall be distributed equally between my cousins, Dudo Baggins and Dora Baggins.  
  
C. In the event that either of my cousins, Dudo Baggins or Dora Baggins, shall predecease me leaving no issue, then and in that event, that cousin’s portion of my Residuary Estate shall be distributed to the children of said deceased cousin, Dudo Baggins or Dora Baggins.  
  
ARTICLE V. Payment to Minors and Incompetents. Except as provided for in Articles III and IV, if, pursuant to the terms of this, my Last Will and Testament, any portion of my estate becomes payable to any beneficiary during such beneficiary’s minority, or to any beneficiary who shall have been determined to be incompetent, my Executor, in his sole discretion, shall be authorized to distribute said portion of the estate to a parent or guardian of the beneficiary, or to the person with whom such beneficiary resides, without obligation by the Executor to look to the proper application or use of any payment so made; or the Executor, in his sole discretion, may make distributions in such manner as he believes will best benefit the beneficiary, and also may pay to the beneficiary directly such sums as the Executor shall approve as an allowance; or the Executor, in his sole discretion, may accumulate and hold all or a portion of the assets which otherwise would be distributed to the beneficiary, and distribute said assets to the beneficiary when he or she attains the age of thirty-three (33) years, or upon removal of the incapacity. However, if said beneficiary dies before the age of thirty-three (33) years, or prior to the removal of the incapacity, and no other provision is made in this Will for the passing of such beneficiary’s interest to others, then my Executor shall distribute any accumulated corpus and income to the estate of the beneficiary.  
  
ARTICLE VI. Implementation Upon Constructive Death. In the event that I leave the Shire and its environs, then and in that event, in the event I have conveyed my intent to permanently remove from the Shire, then and in that event, it shall be construed that I have constructively died and all of the terms of this, my Last Will and Testament, shall at that time be implemented with the full force and effect as if I were deceased.  
  
ARTICLE VII. Renouncement. I hereby resign, renounce, and relinquish my position as head of the Baggins family to my cousin and heir, Frodo Baggins, upon my actual or constructive death.  
  
ARTICLE VIII. Powers of Executor. In the administration of my estate pursuant to the terms of this, my Last Will and Testament, the Executor shall have the following powers, which may be exercised in whole or in part, and which shall be deemed to be supplementary to and not exclusive of the general powers of executors pursuant to the rules of the Shire, and shall include all powers necessary to put the same into effect. Such powers may be exercised independently and without the prior or subsequent approval of any authority, and nobody dealing with the Executor shall be required to inquire into the propriety of any of his actions.  
  
A. To retain, in his absolute discretion, and for such period as he shall deem advisable, any and all investments and other properties held by me at the time of my death without liability for any loss incurred by reason of the retention of such investments or properties.  
  
B. To sell, pledge, and otherwise dispose of the assets of my estate and of the interests established pursuant to this Will, or any part of said assets, when he deems such action necessary and proper for the purpose of complying with my testamentary desires as herein expressed, and for the purpose of conserving, preserving and maintaining my estate.  
  
C. With respect to any indebtedness held by me at the time of my death, to enter into agreements for the alteration of my interest therein, or of the rights and obligations under any contract with respect thereto, in effect at the time of my death.  
  
D. To take any action deemed advisable to enforce, compromise or arbitrate any obligation, lien or other claim held by me, and to agree to any rescission or modification of any contract or agreement.  
  
E. To hold undivided interests in any other properties held by  
me or that may form part of my estate at the time of my death, or that may be purchased or acquired thereafter on behalf of my estate without being required to make a physical division of any properties which may form a part of my estate at the time of my death.  
  
F. In the event that at the time of my death I am a member of any partnership, joint venture, or undertaking, whether alone or jointly with one (1) or more persons, I hereby authorize and empower the Executor to carry out and perform the terms of such partnership or joint venture, including furnishing additional assets as may be necessary or desirable in the sole discretion of my Executor, it being my intention that the Executor shall have full power to cooperate with my surviving partner or partners, or joint venturers in such manner as shall be deemed advisable by the Executor, in order that the continuation, development and intention of such partnerships, ventures, or undertakings shall not be prevented or interfered with by virtue of the continued interest therein of my estate.  
  
G. To loan or borrow money to or for such businesses or business interests which I may own at the time of my death.  
  
H. To lease any real estate for such terms and upon such conditions and in such manner as he may deem advisable, and any lease so made shall be valid and binding for the full term thereof. To make repairs, replacements and improvements, structural or otherwise, to any such real estate; to insure against fire or other risks as he may deem proper. To subdivide real estate, to dedicate same to public use, and to grant easements as he may deem proper.  
  
I. Whenever required or permitted to divide and distribute any funds under this Will, to make such distributions in money or in kind, or partly in money and partly in kind, and to exercise all powers herein conferred until my estate had been fully distributed.  
  
J. To employ accountants, attorneys, and such agents as he may deem advisable; to pay reasonable compensation for their services.  
  
K. To determine which assets or portion thereof shall be distributed to or for the benefit of each beneficiary of my estate in satisfaction of the share which he or she is entitled to receive under this, my Last Will and Testament. The selection and distribution of assets by the Executor shall be binding and conclusive upon all persons and shall not be subject to question by any beneficiary.  
  
ARTICLE IX. Appointment of Executor.  
  
A. I hereby appoint my cousin, Saradoc Brandybuck, as Executor under this, my Last Will and Testament.  
  
B. In the event my cousin, Saradoc Brandybuck, shall predecease me, or for any reason shall fail to qualify as Executor hereunder (or having qualified, shall die or resign), then and in such event, my cousin, Ponto Baggins, shall be appointed as Successor Executor under this Will, in which capacity he shall possess and exercise all powers hereinbefore conferred on my Executor  
  
C. In the event my cousin, Ponto Baggins, shall predecease me, or for any reason shall fail to qualify as Executor hereunder (or having qualified, shall die or resign), then and in such event, my cousin, Paladin Took, shall be appointed as Successor Executor under this Will, in which capacity he shall possess and exercise all powers hereinbefore conferred on my Executor.  
  
ARTICLE X. Appointment of Guardian.  
  
A. I hereby appoint my cousins, Saradoc and Esmeralda Brandybuck, or the survivor of them, as Co-Guardians of my cousin and ward, Frodo Baggins. I strongly request that my cousins, Saradoc and Esmeralda Brandybuck, send my ward, Frodo Baggins, to live with my cousins, Paladin and Eglantine Took, for a few weeks each spring as that is a very difficult time of the year for my ward, Frodo Baggins, to be in Buckland.  
  
B. In the event that both of my cousins, Saradoc and Esmeralda Brandybuck, shall predecease me, or for any reason shall fail to qualify as Guardian hereunder (or having qualified, shall die or resign), then and in such event, my cousins, Paladin and Eglantine Took, or the survivor of them, shall be appointed as Successor Co-Guardians of my ward, Frodo Baggins, in which capacity they shall possess and exercise all powers hereinbefore conferred on my Co-Guardians.  
  
ARTICLE XI. Construction of Will. Wherever the context of any provision of this Will permits, any word in either number shall be construed to mean both singular and plural; any word in the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter; any word in the feminine gender shall include the masculine and neuter;  
  
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I, Bilbo Baggins, have signed and published this Will this 30th day of Rethe, S.R. 1389.  
  
BILBO BAGGINS  
  
WITNESSES:  
  
SARADOC BRANDYBUCK PALADIN TOOK PONTO BAGGINS  
  
  
ODOVOCAR BOLGER GRIFFO BOFFIN MILO BURROWS ODO PROUDFOOT  
  
This instrument was signed, sealed, published and declared by Bilbo Baggins, the Testator above named, as and for his Last Will and Testament, in the presence of us, who in his presence and at his request, and in the presence of each other, have hereupon subscribed our names as witnesses, this clause first having been read to us and we now intending to certify that the matters herein specified took place in fact and in the order named. Furthermore, we, the Testator, Bilbo Baggins, and the witnesses respectively, whose names are signed to the foregoing instrument, do hereby declare to the undersigned officer that the Testator signed the instrument as the Last Will and Testament of Bilbo Baggins and that he signed voluntarily and that each of the witnesses in the presence of the Testator, at his request, and in the presence of each other, signed the Will as a witness and that to the best of the knowledge of each witness the Testator was at that time thirty-three (33) years or more of age, of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.  
  
Subscribed and acknowledged before me by Bilbo Baggins, the Testator, and subscribed and sworn to before me by the above witnesses on the 30th day of Rethe, S.R. 1389.  
  
HERIBERT GRUBB(SEAL)  
Heribert Grubb, Attorney


	4. Hidden Treasures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Sam, Merry and Pippin continue looking through the trunk, they begin to decide to whom such things will go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has illustrations: drawings and photographs by Gryffinjack, and photographs of objects made by Dreamflower.

**CHAPTER THREE**  
  
  
Luncheon was a simple affair: a rich vegetable soup, a salad of summer greens with mushrooms, and some of the leftover dishes from elevenses --few in number, but enough to admit of variety. The yeasty smell of the honeycakes as they were rising nearly drove Pippin mad.  
  
“We should pop those into the oven for afters,” he said hopefully. Elanor’s face lit up at this suggestion, and then fell as Rose shook her head.  
  
“I don’t think so,” said Merry, as he managed to spear the last of Daisy’s pickles with his fork. He gave an amused look at the quickly hidden disgruntlement on Sam’s face, as the Master of Bag End missed out on the end of his sister’s gift. Teasing Sam wasn’t as much fun as teasing Pippin, who would have quickly protested. He avoided Estella’s glare, and looked at Pippin instead. “Those were made for tea, and tea is when we shall have them.”  
  
“I hope they are as good as I remember them,” said Pippin wistfully. “But even Frodo never made them quite as well as Cousin Bilbo.”  
  
“Mr. Bilbo was a dab hand at the baking,” said Sam reminiscently. “All his breads and cakes and pastries was just lovely and light as feathers! But them honeycakes, now that receipt was something special--he brought that receipt home from his Adventure.”  
  
“Did he?” said Merry curiously. “I never knew that!”  
  
“It’s what he told me one afternoon, when I was not much more than a _faunt_ , afore Mr. Frodo ever came to live here. My Ma was up here doing a bit of spring cleaning like, in preparation for one of Mr. Frodo’s visits, and she’d brought me and Marigold up here to keep an eye on us. She kept Mari in a little sling with her while she worked, but Mr. Bilbo invited me into the kitchen with him, and I sat on the table while he mixed up them honeycakes. He told me he had the receipt of old Beorn. ‘Not, Samwise my lad, the twice-baked honeycakes he gave to us for our journey after we left him, but the nice soft yeasty ones we had with our supper while we were guests in his home.’ That’s just what he told me.”  
  
Little Elanor’s eyes grew very wide. “Daddy! Do you mean the Beorn that turned into a bear and helped Mr. Bilbo and the Dwarves!”  
  
“I do indeed, Elanorelle.”  
  
The other hobbits’ brows rose at this, and all of them now glanced over at the sideboard where the potential treats lay covered with a red-checked tea towel.  
  
“Well,” said Pippin, “as we are not to have them now, I don’t intend to torture myself with the smell of them any longer. I suppose it is time we returned to our task. That box holds a good many things, and we’ve barely begun to sort through them.”

  
*******  
  
The room was quiet as the three hobbits gathered around the strongbox. Rose and Estella had taken the children outside so that Elanor and Wyn could play while Rose and Estella minded Frodo-lad and little Perry.  
  
“What should we look through next?” Merry asked as he opened the lid once again.  
  
“How about _that_ pouch?” said Pippin, pointing inside the box. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it before. I wonder where he got it. It’s really pretty.”  
  
“I haven’t seen it before either. It’s not Mum’s work and I don’t recall seeing that pattern made by any of the other Brandybucks, nor does it look store bought,” replied Merry as he lifted the wool pouch out of the box to get a better look at it.   
  
The body of the pouch was made out of wine coloured homespun wool and was about eight inches long and five inches wide. It had a black drawstring closure at the top with a coloured wooden bead on each side of the pouch. There was a clever handle long enough to loop on a hobbit’s belt or carry on a shoulder that ran up one side of the pouch and down the other side, a black tassel at each end.  
  
“Sam? Are you all right?” Pippin put a steadying hand on Sam’s shoulder and looked with concern at his friend.  
  
Sam's normally sunny face had paled and his eyes glistened with tears. He blinked them away. Although he was trying to work his mouth to say something, the only sound coming from him was a tiny whimper from the back of his throat as he tried to breathe.  
  
Merry turned to look at Sam and bolted over to him just in time to help Pippin ease Sam into a chair. “What is it?”  
  
With a visible effort, he finally said, “That’s my Ma's weaving.”  
  
"Ah," said Merry, nodding. He and Pippin exchanged an understanding glance. Sam never spoke of his mother's death, but they suspected that it had hit him quite hard, for she had been rather young to go so quickly.   
  
“She made it for Mr. Frodo back when I was a lad to thank him as he looked after me and kept me from drowning me fool neck once by The Water when she weren’t looking. It gave her such a fright, and my Gaffer were none to happy about it neither, make no mistake.”  
  
“That was very nice of her to make a present for Frodo.” Merry sat in a chair next to Sam and Pippin sat on the sofa, relieved that Sam had found his voice.  
  
“It weren’t just a pouch, mind you. Ma put some of her shortbread biscuits in there, I reckon ‘cause she thought Mr. Frodo were real sweet.” Sam reached for the pouch that Merry still held in his hand and slowly ran his fingers over it.  
  
The colour was beginning to come back into Sam’s face and the ends of his lips even curled up into the faintest hint of a smile. “I remember she made a big fuss of saying as how she wanted to make it ’specially out of wool so as it could absorb any water if it rained and protect whatever Mr. Frodo might put in the pouch. That and wool is real sturdy; it won’t wear in no hurry. It took Ma hours to weave the pouch on her loom. She used one of her own hair ribbons for the drawstring.”  
  
“That was most thoughtful of your mother, Sam,” said Merry.  
  
“Yes, and it was a very nice gift. The pouch looks like it has plenty of wear in it still. Frodo took good care of it,” Pippin added.  
  
“I didn’t even know he kept it all these years,” said Sam. “I clean forgot all about it until just now, but I reckon Mr. Frodo kept it to remember her by.”

Picture of pouch - [](http://photobucket.com/)  
  
“He always said she was a fine hobbitess,” commented Merry.  
  
“Aye, that she was. And she thought Mr. Frodo were the best behaved tweenaged hobbit as she ever saw!” Sam said. “But Mr. Frodo … Mr. Frodo were real sad when she died, on account of it reminded him of when his own parents died, you see. And he always had a soft spot in his heart for her. I reckon he kept it as a keepsake all this time.” Sam stared pensively at the pouch in his hands and thought a moment. “But why would he put it here in this strongbox with all of his most important treasures?” He looked up at the cousins expectantly.  
  
“Well, that’s just it, Sam,” replied Pippin. “You’re mother was a real treasure.”  
  
“And Frodo never was one to forget someone so special,” added Merry.  
  
A few tears ran down Sam’s cheeks before he was able to check them. “You have the right of it, sirs. I’m glad Mr. Frodo knew that about her.”  
  
“What do you say we see what Frodo thought worthy of keeping in your Mother’s pouch?” Merry asked briskly. “I’m quite certain the shortbread is long gone.”  
  
Sam nodded as he wiped his tears away and offered the pouch back to Merry.  
  
“No, you open it, Sam.”  
  
“It’s only right,” added Pippin.  
  
Sam blushed slightly and then opened the pouch and removed the first item he came to. He held it up so all three of them could get a good look at it. It was a small wooden toy boat that had been painted a bright green on the outside.   
  
Merry and Pippin both chuckled in warm recognition.  
  
“Why, that’s the little boat his father made for him!” exclaimed Pippin.   
  
“He used to let me play with it back when he was still living with us at Brandy Hall!” laughed Merry. “Frodo would give me his boat to play with whenever we went swimming in that little cove. You remember, Pip? Frodo didn't often swim in the River, of course.   
  
Pippin nodded. "That's where both of you taught me. I used to wonder why we didn't go with the other lads." He sighed. "I understood more when I got a bit older."  
  
“I remember seeing that boat here at Bag End after Mr. Frodo moved in with Mr. Bilbo. He used to keep it in his room,” said Sam.  
  
“That’s right!” agreed Pippin. “And he used to let me play with it in the bath!”  
  
Merry snorted, "As if _you_ needed anything to entertain you in the bath!”   
  
“Well, Merry, he used to say it helped me keep more of the water _in_ the tub if I knew the boat needed it to float,” said Pippin.

2\. Drawing of boat by [](http://gryffinjack.livejournal.com/profile)[**gryffinjack**](http://gryffinjack.livejournal.com/) [](http://photobucket.com/)

  
  
“Mr. Frodo always was a clever hobbit,” Sam chuckled. He held his left hand out and emptied a couple of things from the pouch onto his hand.  
  
“Oh, look! It’s the spinning top and the whistle!” Merry exclaimed. "Drogo made those for him when he was little, too. Mum was always telling us to take the whistle outside if we were going to blow it.”  
  
“Hmm… I remember Frodo would let me play with the spinning top when I was visiting, but I don’t recall him letting me play with the whistle,” said Pippin.  
  
Merry and Sam gave each other a knowing look and chuckled.   
  
“What?” asked Pippin in a hurt tone.  
  
“Nothing. It’s just that you never needed nothing to help you make noise when you was little, Pippin,” replied Sam, trying to hide his grin, even though Merry was still laughing.  
  
Pippin glared at both of them for a moment, but then broke into laughter himself. “I was a rather active lad, wasn’t I?”  
  
“I can hardly wait until you have a lad of your own, Pip,” said Merry, still chuckling. “Perhaps it will have all been worth it then.”  
  
“Here now, what’s that supposed to mean?”   
  
Merry winked at Sam as they both laughed at the Took. “You’ll find out, dear cousin. You’ll find out. But I insist that you take the boat, the spinning top, and especially the whistle.”   
  
“Well, I’ve no time for guessing at your riddles, either one of you,” sniffed Pippin as he put the little treasures to one side. “We’ve got more things to go through. Is that one of Bilbo’s handkerchiefs?” He pulled a bright yellow handkerchief out of the pouch, spilling the rest of the contents onto Sam’s lap.  
  
“It sure looks like it, doesn’t it?” said Sam.  
  
Merry took the handkerchief from Pippin and looked it over quietly. “It’s the first handkerchief Bilbo ever gave to Frodo, when Frodo was still living at the Hall. I used to be quite envious of it. It was a birthday present to Frodo on their birthday. Frodo told me that Bilbo used to always say that Frodo never had a handkerchief when he needed one, so that’s why he got him one on their birthday. Frodo never did fancy yellow as much as other hobbits, but he carried it with him everywhere just to please Bilbo. After Bilbo left, he stopped carrying it. But obviously he kept it anyway."   
  
All three of them smiled. It was so like Frodo to use something he didn't like to please someone else, and then keep it anyway, when he no longer had reason to use it.   
  
“Well, look at this!" exclaimed Merry, reaching onto Sam’s lap and picking up a small flat pasteboard box with a faded picture of a pony on it.  
  
“What is that?” asked Sam.  
  
Merry grinned broadly, his eyes twinkling. “It’s a puzzle!”  
  
“A puzzle?”  
  
“Yes, a jigsaw puzzle of a pony. This is actually _mine."_

6\. Picture of puzzle made by [](http://dreamflower02.livejournal.com/profile)[**dreamflower02**](http://dreamflower02.livejournal.com/)  
  
[](http://photobucket.com/)  
  
Pippin and Sam gave Merry a quizzical look, and Pippin arched a brow. "Yours?"  
  
"Yes. I got it for Yule the year I was five. I don't know  _how_ many times I made Frodo help me put it together. We took it apart and put it together over and over for days, and then one day a piece went missing, and I was very upset. So Frodo took the puzzle, and said that since we couldn't finish it, we should do something else for a change. I had no idea he kept it." His eyes narrowed, and suddenly, he tipped the pieces out on the tea table, and quickly manipulated them. All the pieces were there.  
  
"Frodo! You sneak!" He exclaimed indignantly.   
  
Pippin and Sam laughed. "Clever Frodo! He knows how obsessed you get. He must have been heartily tired of that same old puzzle day after day!"  
  
Merry bristled. "Obsessed?"  
  
"Yes!" Pippin exclaimed while Sam nodded at the same time, both of them laughing. After a moment, Merry joined in.  
  
"You may have a point there," he chuckled.  
  
Merry glanced at the remaining items on Sam’s lap. He gaped in surprise at what he saw there. Instantly, he picked an item up and held it before him, studying it closely.  
  
“What is it, Merry?” asked Pippin.  
  
Merry looked closely at the name written in silver on a red ribbon. “I can’t believe it.”  
  
“Merry?” Pippin sidled up next to him to take a look for himself. “First Place - 1379, Buckland Races, swimming - ten to fifteen year olds.”  
  
“I didn’t even know he had ever entered one of the Buckland swimming races!” exclaimed Merry. “All those years we went to the Races and he never told me he had been in one, let alone _won_ one.”  
  
Pippin took the ribbon into his own hand, looked at it closer, and frowned. “1379. He won this before you were ever born, Merry. Just a year before his parents died.”  
  
“I saw that ribbon in Mr. Frodo’s room once when I was about fifteen and asked him about it,” said Sam. “His eyes got that sad and far away look of his, and he just turned and walked right past Mr. Bilbo and me and out the _smial_ without saying a word. Mr. Bilbo, he could see I were that upset about distressing Mr. Frodo and confused about what I’d done to upset him, so he took me aside and explained…”  
  
 _Sam watched Frodo go outside without a word, closing the front door behind him. He turned wide-eyed toward Bilbo in confusion.  
  
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bilbo! Did I say something wrong?"  
  
Bilbo smiled understandingly at Sam. The poor lad had no idea why talking about that ribbon upset Frodo they way it did.   
  
“Come, Samwise. I have just the thing! How about a nice cup of tea and some seedcake, eh?” The elder hobbit led Sam into the kitchen and began to brew the tea.  
  
“I’m really sorry, Mr. Bilbo,” Sam repeated, not knowing what else to say.  
  
“It’s not your fault, my lad,” said Bilbo as he smiled kindly at Sam and placed the seedcake and a plate before him. “It’s just that he won that ribbon for coming in first place in a swimming contest on the Brandywine River. The very same river that his parents drowned in.”  
  
“Oh, Mr. Bilbo, sir!” gasped Sam in horror. “Poor Master Frodo! No wonder he don’t want to be reminded of it! Samwise, you ninnyhammer!”  
  
“Now, don’t you fret about it, Sam. You had no way of knowing. Having been raised in Buckland, Frodo had been swimming almost since the time he could crawl. He used to tell me how he couldn’t wait until he was old enough to compete in the swimming contest!” laughed Bilbo, a distant smile of the past in his eyes.   
  
The smile vanished as he continued. “By the time Frodo was old enough to enter the races, he was ten years old. Being one of the youngest in the contest, he didn’t do well. But he was happy just the same. Oh, my! You should have seen the look of pride on his face at having completed the course! You see, even though Wedmath was not my usual time to visit at Brandy Hall, I had come specifically to see Frodo compete in the Races. The lad had practically begged me to come and I was powerless to refuse him.” Bilbo’s eyes were twinkling again as he thought of how much he loved his younger cousin.  
  
“But that there ribbon says that he won first place!” interrupted Sam, bringing Bilbo back from his thoughts.  
  
“What? Oh, so it does,” began Bilbo as he poured the tea and scraped some of the white sugar off the cone wrapped in light blue paper and into Sam’s cup. “He won the ribbon the following year. I was there again, at Frodo’s request… I’ve never seen Frodo so happy and proud.” Bilbo gazed out the kitchen window toward the sad figure that stood solitary in the front garden. “That was 1379. His parents drowned in the River the following year in 1380.”  
  
Sam practically choked on his sip of tea and quickly put the cup back down. “1380? Why, that's the very year I were born, Mr. Bilbo!”  
  
Bilbo turned toward him. “Was it really? Well, I don’t think their deaths had anything to do with your birth, Samwise.”  
  
“I don’t know why it never struck me before as how I was born the same year as poor Master Frodo losing his parents.”  
  
“Well, it’s not the sort of thing we like to dwell upon, is it?” Bilbo said gently, putting another slice of seedcake on Sam’s plate before taking a bite of his own piece.  
  
“I reckon not,” said Sam. “But if that memory brings back sad memories for Master Frodo, why does he keep it where he can see it?”  
  
“Oh, I suppose it has a lot of happy memories for him as well. Not only of winning the race, but of a lovely day spent with his parents, seeing their happy faces. Drogo and Primula were so proud of Frodo. I could see it in their beaming faces. So you see, it must have been a special day for Frodo to see that look upon his parents’ faces, too. But to have to tell someone else what the ribbon was for, well, I imagine that comes too close to reliving how soon after he lost them. Because he knows that the first thing someone is going to do as soon as they see the year on the ribbon is comment on how he lost his parents the very next year. And the last thing he wants is anyone’s pity.”  
  
Sam could see how Bilbo was right. That had been his very first thought, too, as soon as he had learnt the year that Frodo had won the race. He wondered what it would be like to lose a parent at such an early age. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine at the horrible thought. Sam was so glad that both of his parents were alive and well._   
  
“That was the only time I ever saw that ribbon. I’d never known Mr. Frodo was such a good swimmer before, but it weren’t no surprise, him having been thinner than most lads were, he would have had that much less weight to pull through the water and that much less to weigh him down,” said Sam.  
  
Tears stood in Merry’s and Pippin’s eyes as they thought of their cousin who had never entered a Buckland swimming race in all the years they had known him.   
  
“I wish I’d got to see him win one of those races,” said Merry. “I’d have liked to see him so proud of himself, just once.”  
  
Pippin nodded and handed the ribbon to Merry. “You keep it, Merry. It belongs in Buckland.”  
  
Merry looked up in surprise at his younger cousin, “Oh, no, I couldn’t…”  
  
“It’s only right, Merry,” agreed Sam. “Since you didn’t get to see him race.”   
  
Merry smiled gratefully at them and then carefully placed the ribbon in a pocket of his westkit.

3\. Drawing of handkerchief with top, whistle, and ribbon by [](http://gryffinjack.livejournal.com/profile)[**gryffinjack**](http://gryffinjack.livejournal.com/) \- [](http://photobucket.com/)  
  
“What is _this_?” Merry wrinkled his face up in disgust as he plucked something up out of the storage box with the barest of fingertips and began to examine it. “Pippin! Didn’t you have enough mushrooms at luncheon? Now look what you’ve done! You’ve dropped one in with Frodo’s things!”   
  
Pippin had just opened his mouth to object when Sam spoke first.   
  
“Begging your pardon, Merry, but that there mushroom is not from luncheon.”  
  
”Well, how else could it have got in here?”   
  
“I don’t rightly know, but that mushroom is old and wrinkled. It looks like it’s seen many a summer,” Sam replied.   
  
“Twenty-one summers to be precise,” Pippin replied. He lifted his chin up in the air and grinned, his green eyes twinkling with satisfaction as Sam and Merry both turned to look incredulously at the smug Took. Pippin pointed to a spot on the wrinkled mushroom and replied, “I was there. Look!”   
  
Upon closer inspection, Merry and Sam saw that there were initials carved into the cap of the mushroom.   
  
“PT, FB” Sam read.   
  
“Peregrin Took, Frodo Baggins,” Pippin interpreted happily. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that mushroom.”   
  
Merry screwed his face up and faced his younger cousin, “Would you care to explain why Frodo would have kept an old wrinkled mushroom, and why it would have _your_ initials on it?”   
  
“It’s to commemorate Frodo’s and my first walking trip together!”   
  
“Pippin! You and I went walking before that!” exclaimed Merry.   
  
“Well, yes we did,” admitted Pippin. “But I said _Frodo and I_. You were not there. You were sick with hay fever back in Buckland.”   
  
Sam gave an amused look at Merry before returning his gaze to Pippin. “Go on then, Pippin. I want to hear about this.”   
  
Merry pursed his lips and leant forward curiously with his arms crossed. It wasn’t often he learnt of something involving Pippin and Frodo that he didn’t already know.  
  
“Well, remember Merry, the summer I was fourteen? We’d all three met at the Great Smials for the Lithedays as usual, but instead of coming back to Whitwell with me, you’d had to return to Buckland.”   
  
“Ah yes, I remember. Grandmother Menegilda had one of her bad turns, and Da was worried and then I had hay fever. So I didn’t make my usual Afterlithe visit. I was going to come back in Wedmath…”   
  
Pippin nodded. “Frodo, on the other hand was not especially in any hurry to get back here. So it was just Frodo and me. When Frodo asked me what I wanted to do one day, I took one look outside and saw that it was a fine summer’s day and told him that I thought it would be grand if we could go on a real adventure, like he used to go on with Bilbo…”   
  
_”But we’ve gone on walking trips before, Pippin,” said Frodo.  
  
“Not alone we haven’t,” Pippin replied. “We’ve only gone with Merry … or Bilbo.” He added the last part softly, a note of uncertainty in his voice as to whether he should mention it. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Frodo. “But we’ve never gone just the two of us, like you’ve done with Merry.”   
  
“Merry’s older than you.”   
  
“Yes, and he always will be,” Pippin pointed out. “But I’m at least a year older now than Merry was the first time you took him alone on a walking trip! Besides, it’s good weather now (and Father said it’s likely to hold for at least a week. I promise I’ll do everything you tell me to do, even cleaning the fish. Please, Frodo! Can’t we go?”   
  
Frodo raised an eyebrow and looked at his younger cousin’s pleading face with amusement.   
  
“All right, dearest, but I don’t want any complaints if you get tired,” Frodo said, ruffling Pippin’s curls.   
  
“Oh, thank you, Frodo! You’ll see! I won’t be any trouble at all!” Frodo grunted as a young teen grabbed him tightly in a hug.   
  
Pippin was as good as his word and did not complain once. Despite agreeing to Pippin’s request, Frodo still didn’t want to go that far with Pippin. He was still a bit slight for his age and Paladin and Eglantine would never forgive him if anything happened to their son. In the end, Frodo decided that they would go to Pincup, carefully avoiding Tuckborough as they entered the Green Hills, since Pippin would certainly have objected to Frodo taking him back home.   
  
Sam’s prediction had been correct as usual and the fair weather held throughout the trip. Frodo had to admit, he was glad to go on another walking trip, it had been far too long since his last one. And Pippin really was old enough now to be good company and not complain about getting tired.   
  
As they walked along the path the first day of their adventure, they sang some of their favourite walking songs, mostly ones that Bilbo had written, Pippins sweet young voice mixing with Frodo’s rich, deeper tones. When they had tired of singing, they played a game that Frodo always played with Merry or Pippin when they went walking: spot the wildlife. It was a game Bilbo had played with Frodo when he was a lad.  
  
By mid-afternoon, Pippin had spotted three squirrels, a robin, and a rabbit hopping along. Even though they had not yet even come to the Green Hills, Pippin sighed as he stared around him, intent on finding more wildlife. Frodo knew that what Pippin really wanted to find was a deer in the woods. It was always the same way.   
  
“Perhaps we should sing again,” Frodo suggested.   
  
“All right!” Pippin smiled cheerfully. One thing Frodo and Merry both knew was that the easiest way to cheer Pippin up was to suggest that he sing.   
  
_One hundred apple pies, cooling on the sill,   
Snatch one down   
To eat our fill… _  
  
“Pippin,” Frodo interrupted.   
  
“Yes?”   
  
“Not that song, please.”   
  
“All right, Frodo.” They walked along the road in silence for a few minutes. Soon, Frodo heard Pippin humming, which soon became singing again.   
  
_The Road goes ever on and on   
Down from the door where it began.   
Now far ahead the Road has gone,   
And I must follow, if I can… _  
  
Pippin looked carefully at Frodo. Although he was certain Frodo would not have any objection to this song, he wanted to be certain not to be a bother on their adventure.   
  
But this was one of Bilbo’s songs. Frodo was smiling and soon joined his voice with Pippin’s.   
  
_And I must follow, if I can,   
Pursuing it with eager feet,   
Until it joins some larger way   
Where many paths and errands meet.   
And whither then? I cannot say. _*  
  
“Well, you’d better be able to say whither the path goes, Frodo Baggins, or we shall become lost!” Pippin quipped after they finished the song.   
  
As they continued making their way through the Green Hills and Pincup, they continued to sing. This walking trip was turning out to be everything Pippin had hoped for.   
  
“I’m glad we came this way, Frodo. This way, I won’t have to clean any fish!” the young Took exclaimed happily as they ambled the Green Hills. “Although, I don’t know so much as I’d mind cleaning them just now. I am feeling a bit peckish!”   
  
Frodo gave Pippin a pointed look, but there was a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.   
  
“Not that I’m complaining!” Pippin added quickly. “I just mean, we didn’t stop for afternoon tea and the sun’s starting to set, so I thought we might want to stop for dinner now so we can get a few more hours of walking in under the stars.”   
  
“Very tactful of you, Pip,” Frodo laughed, slipping his rucksack off by some rocks that would serve well to control their cook fire.   
  
“I thought so!” Pippin agreed readily with a huge grin as he slipped his rucksack off next to Frodo’s. “What can I do to help?”   
  
Frodo looked around their surroundings and motioned to a patch of the woods where there were some smaller fallen branches. “You can gather the firewood while I start getting the food out and make the pit.”   
  
“I’ll get it straight away! And I’m going to find us some mushrooms, too!” Pippin exclaimed.   
  
Before Frodo had even opened one of their rucksacks, Pippin dashed off to gather the wood. He had only been gone about ten minutes when he returned with his arms weighed down by enough wood to make five cook fires.   
  
“Will this be enough?” the teen asked.   
  
“That will be plenty, dearest!” Frodo chuckled in response.   
  
“Good!” Pippin dropped the firewood near the pit that Frodo had made and then dug into the pocket of his breeches. “Look what I found!” he said proudly, holding out his hands.   
  
“Mushrooms!” exclaimed Frodo, who began salivating at the sight of the tasty morsels. “What a good lad!”   
  
Pippin’s face glowed as he basked in Frodo’s approval.   
  
“They’re all safe to eat – I’ve seen them plenty of times when I’ve gone mushrooming with Pearl. But look what else I found!” Pippin dropped the mushrooms into Frodo’s hands and rummaged in his pocket once again. “Writing mushrooms! At least, that’s what Pearl says they’re called.” Pippin held two long-stemmed medium sized tawny coloured mushrooms in his hands for Frodo’s inspection.   
  
“So they are! That’s what Bilbo always called them as well,” said Frodo. He put the little button mushrooms Pippin had already given to him down in the pot he had taken out and took the writing mushrooms from Pippin.   
  
“Pearl says they are rare.”   
  
“She’s correct. At least, here in the Shire. And did Pearl also show you what to do with them?”   
  
Pippin nodded enthusiastically. “She said you can write anything you want on the caps of the mushrooms and then put them in a safe, dry place to dry and when they dry, whatever you wrote on them will still be there on the cap, forever and ever.”   
  
“That’s right! So what would you like to write on them?” Frodo asked. “It can’t be that long, there’s not that much room on the caps.”   
  
Pippin thought for a moment. Finally, he smiled.   
  
“What about our initials? That’s short enough, isn’t it? And then we can always remember this adventure that we shared – just the two of us! And look! I got two of them – one for you and one for me, so we can each keep one.”   
  
“Why, that’s a fine idea, Pippin!? Frodo hugged his little cousin warmly, careful not to squish the mushrooms. He handed Pippin a small twig with which to carve their initials.   
  
“I think you ought to do it, Frodo. Your handwriting is neater than mine.”   
  
“All right, Pippin. I’ll do the writing,” Frodo chuckled.   
  
He handed one of the mushrooms back to Pippin and carefully held the other one up to find the best spot on the mushroom to write on. The corners of his mouth rose as he looked again at Pippin, who was anxiously looked on.   
  
Frodo held the small twig and carefully carved on the first mushroom, “PT” and looked at the proud grin on his cousin, knowing that the lad would be glad his initials were listed first. Below the “PT,” he added “FB.”   
  
“That’s perfect!” Pippin exclaimed. “Now do the other one!”   
  
Only after both mushrooms were carved with the exact same thing did they begin to prepare their dinner of lentil and mushroom soup with some rosemary griddle bread._   
  
“We agreed that we would each keep one of the mushrooms so we would never forget the first time we went on adventure, just the two of us. I still have my mushroom, but I forgot all about seeing what happened with Frodo’s,” Pippin explained, gently turning the mushroom over in his fingers, not even bothering to wipe the tears away from his eyes.   
  
Merry and Sam were both misty-eyed as well.   
  
“That were a beautiful story, Mr. Pippin,” Sam commented, too choked up to remember not to use the “Mr.”.   
  
Merry nodded, unable to say anything for a moment. Finally, he said, “Why don’t you keep Frodo’s mushroom, Pippin. It’s only right. Keep the two of them together.”   
  
It was Sam’s turn to nod now. “Mr. Frodo would like that.”

4\. Drawing of mushroom by **gryffinjack**  
[](http://photobucket.com/)

  
Pippin gave them a thin, watery smile and carefully placed the mushroom in the breast pocket of his weskit. Then he reached out and picked up the blanket.  
  
“So, what’s in the blanket then, Merry?” Pippin poked at it curiously. “I think I know…”  
  
“So do I. But open it up anyway.”  
  
Pippin untied the ribbon that was around the blanket, and drew the folds away. “Baby clothes! Just as I thought!”  
  
Merry and Sam looked at the tiny clothes: a long white dress, such as was worn by both lads and lasses as infants; a white knitted bonnet and a matching jacket; a small playsuit the colour of bluebells--it had a bumblebee embroidered on the little pocket; and a little bib, also embroidered with bumblebees. And of course the blanket itself, knitted of two strands of soft cream-coloured wool with fringe on each end.  
  
“Blue?” said Pippin, puzzled. Pale green was the usual colour for hobbit lads, and pale yellow for the lasses.  
  
Merry shrugged, too caught up in his thoughts at the moment to give more of an answer. Frodo had worn these tiny garments. Putting away his sad thoughts, he looked at Sam. “Well, Sam, it’s perfect timing--you’ve a babe on the way, and here are some baby clothes.”  
  
Sam drew back in horror. “I could never! Those was Mr. *Frodo’s*!”  
  
“I know that, Sam. And Frodo made you his heir. So they belong to you.”  
  
“But his mum made those, I’m sure!”  
  
“I’m sure she did as well. She was known for her needlework, I’m told. That means they will be very well made.”  
  
“But they ought to go to you. Or to … to Pippin for when he weds!”  
  
“They’ll be of no use to Estella and me. We’ve a lass and a lad, and no mind to have more.”  
  
Pippin and Sam looked at him dubiously. That had the sound of tempting fate. But they said nothing about it. Instead, Pippin protested, “And I’m not even *married* yet! As Merry said, you’ve another babe coming, and you and Rosie will probably fill this hole to the rafters!”  
  
“Pip!” said Merry sharply.  
  
Pippin’s cheeks blushed a fiery red as he realised what he’d said. “Well,” he mumbled, “you know what I mean!”  
  
Sam shook his head stubbornly, and retreated to the only thing that kept coming to his mind. “Those was Mr. Frodo’s as a babe.”  
  
Merry and Pippin looked at one another helplessly. Sam in this mood could be every bit as stubborn as a Baggins. Or a Took. Or a Brandybuck. Or all three rolled into one.  
  
Merry tried appealing to Sam’s practicality. “Sam, what’s the point of them just being kept until they rot away? Frodo would *want* them to be used, I’m sure.”  
  
Sam just set his face.  
  
Pippin and Merry exchanged a helpless glance, and then Pippin stood up. “I know how to resolve this.”  
  
Sam and Merry stared at him as he went to the study door and opened it. Their expressions turned to alarm as Pippin called: “Estella! Rose! Would you please come in here a moment? We need your opinions.”  
  
He turned back to Sam and Merry with a smirk. Both of them glared at him.  
  
Estella and Rose entered the room. “What is it, Pip?” said Estella. She and Rose were trying to take advantage of the children’s naps to have a nice chat and a cup of tea.  
  
“Look!” Pippin said, pointing to where the little garments lay, atop the blanket on the settee next to Merry.  
  
“Oh!” said Rose. “They’re beautiful!”

5\. Pictures of the baby clothes made by [](http://dreamflower02.livejournal.com/profile)[**dreamflower02**](http://dreamflower02.livejournal.com/)  
  
[](http://photobucket.com/)  
  
Estella went over, and her eyes widened in surprise, and then she bit her lip. She knew whose work this was, and it made her think briefly of the nature of tragedy. “This is some of Primula’s work.” She picked up the tiny white dress, and examined the pin tucks at the hem. “Mother Esme has told me that Frodo’s mother had a real gift with any kind of needlework.” She put the dress down and took up the bib. “How sweet! See the bumblebees? Esmeralda told me that Primula used to put little bees on things she would make for her family--for Baggins and Brandybuck.” Estella picked up the little playsuit. “And how she made baby Frodo’s things in blue rather than green, because of his eyes. Look at the little bee on the pocket!”  
  
Rose picked up the little bonnet and jacket. “And look at the knitting. Do you know if she spun her own wool?”  
  
Estella nodded. “From what I’ve heard from Merry’s mum and a few of the older cousins and aunties in Brandy Hall who knew her, she was a wonder with her drop spindle, though sometimes she would buy her yarn as well. Bilbo gave her a spinning wheel for his birthday the year before she died.”   
  
“I wish I could knit,” said Rose. “That’s one thing my own mam didn’t do. Most of our knitted things was made by Aunt Aster.”  
  
“I could teach you. It doesn’t take long to learn the simpler stitches…”  
  
The two were talking as though Sam, Merry and Pippin were not even in the room. Merry, Sam and Pippin kept looking from one to the other as they spoke, and finally Merry cleared his throat.  
  
Estella looked at her husband. “Yes, dear?”  
  
“I’m thinking that Pippin asked you in here to help us decide what to do with these. I think they should go to Rose and Sam…”  
  
“Don’t you think they should stay with family?” Sam put in quickly.  
  
Rose and Estella looked at one another and laughed. “Is *that* all?” said Rose with a grin.  
  
“It isn’t a problem,” said Estella. “Obviously neither of our children could wear the dress nor the jacket and bonnet, Merry. Those are sized for very young infants, and I would think that Rose and Sam will soon have use of them.”  
  
“And,” added Rose, “our Frodo-lad could never fit in that playsuit. But I’m thinking it would still fit your little Perry. And the bib’s meant to go with that, I do suppose. When the new babe outgrows the gown and such, why then we’ll put them away for another--whether you and Estella have another or mayhap when Pippin and Miss Diamond wed and have their own wee bairns, and then we’ll pass them back.”  
  
“That’s what you *do* with baby clothes, after all.” Estella was examining the tiny stitches of the embroidery on the pocket of the playsuit. “Primula probably had put these few aside in the hopes of another child, or maybe these were her favourites. But why do you think there are not more here? These weren’t Frodo’s only clothes. I am quite sure, Merry, that at some point you yourself probably wore some of Frodo’s baby things.”  
  
Sam, Merry and Pippin all looked quite startled. Well, of course hobbits handed around baby clothes--it was only good hobbit sense, but somehow they had not thought of that in the context of *these* baby clothes. They had been Frodo’s after all.  
  
“But,” protested Sam, “they were *Mr. Frodo’s*. What about stains and all?” But his protest sounded weak even to his own ears now.  
  
Rose chuckled warmly, and Estella shook her head, amused.  
  
“Sam, me dear,” said Rose, “do you think that when Mr. Frodo was a baby he never spit up or made messes?”  
  
“We shall take care of that when the time comes, of course,” said Estella. She held up the playsuit. “I think you are right, Rose. This probably would fit little Perry for another month or two.” She picked the little blanket up as well. “Perhaps I’ll try it on him after his nap…in the meantime, I’ll get my needles and wool out of my travelling case and show you how to cast on…” She and Rose left the room, chatting once more as though their husbands and Pippin were not even there.  
  
“So,” said Pippin cheerily, “I suppose *that’s* solved!”  
  
Merry and Sam both looked at one another and then at him, and exchanged a smile. Pippin’s day was coming. He’d learn.  
  
“I could use with a spot of fresh air about now,” said Pippin as he walked toward the door. “Would either of you care to join me?”  
  
“A sniff of air is a grand idea!” said Sam enthusiastically. “Merry?”  
  
Merry smiled at the two of them. “I think some fresh air could do us all some good. It’s not good for a body to be cooped up indoors all day with a box full of memories.”  
  
“And by the time we are finished with our walk, then it will be time for afternoon tea, which is fine with me as I am already starving!” exclaimed Pippin.  
  
“Why does that not surprise me?” said Merry as they made their way outside.   
__________________________________  
* From “A Long Expected Party,” in the Fellowship of the Ring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> Close ups of the baby clothes
> 
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> [](http://photobucket.com/)  
>   
> dress...  
> [](http://photobucket.com/)  
>   
> little cap...  
> [](http://photobucket.com/)  
>   
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> [](http://photobucket.com/)  
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>  


	5. After Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rose and Estella solve a dilemma for Sam, Merry and Pippin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Author's Notes at the end this time consist of the full texts of the letters referred to in this chapter.  
> There are also references to my story "Cousin Calla"  
> The story of Pippin's lamb was completely the idea of Gryffinjack, as was the idea behing the "Perry-the-Winkle" joke.
> 
> End Notes will be in the body of the story as the character count is too high to fit in the End Notes box.

**CHAPTER FOUR  
  
AFTER TEA**  
  
  
A breath of fresh air and some afternoon tea with their families proved to be just what Sam, Merry, and Pippin needed. They went back to the strongbox curious to find out more about the things Frodo had kept for all these years.  
  
Merry cast an eye on the letters from his parents and grandparents that he had put to one side. While he wished to examine those, it was clear that Pippin and Sam were still interested in some of the other objects that were in the strongbox besides just letters and documents, and truth to tell, he wasn’t sure he wanted to tackle the letters this late in the day after all.  
  
Sam was carefully moving aside another stack of letters to reveal a few more items. He lifted out a pipe--it had a long stem, and was a bit larger than most hobbit pipes. He smiled.  
  
“Remember this?” he asked.   
  
Pippin reached for the pipe. “I don’t think I ever saw Frodo with this one!”  
  
Merry shook his head, and smiled rather wistfully as well. “No, that was Frodo’s first pipe, and he wasn’t really allowed to smoke it very often. Poor old Balin!”  
  
“Balin?” Pippin sounded puzzled. What did Gimli’s cousin have to do with it?  
  
Sam nodded. “That pipe were his gift to Mr. Frodo. I know you’ve been told about when Mr. Bilbo adopted Mr. Frodo. Gandalf was here, and Balin as well.”  
  
Merry nodded. “The day after Frodo’s Adoption Party, Gandalf and Balin got ready to leave. Balin I think, had some important things to do… _  
  
Merry swung his feet, as he busily ate his first breakfast. His mum and da were still asleep in their guest room, but he and Frodo had wakened early and had a lovely tickle fight, before they washed and dressed and came to the kitchen. Bilbo was laying the table, and the smell of scones and porridge made Merry’s tummy rumble.  
  
Gandalf was already seated on the floor by the table, and Balin was in the chair he’d been occupying for meals since his arrival.  
  
Frodo busied himself with fetching the jam and honey from the larder and the milk and the butter from the cold cellar. As he came back out into the kitchen from the cellar, he paused by the back door.  
  
“What’s this?” he asked. He looked over at the two guests. “Are you leaving?”  
  
Merry’s gaze followed Frodo’s, and he noticed the large packs, and Gandalf’s staff, which were placed on the floor by the back door.  
  
“Yes, Frodo,” said Gandalf. “It is time for us to be on our way.”  
  
Merry felt his heart sink a little. He really liked the big Wizard, with his rumbly booming voice and his kind, twinkling eyes, and the Dwarf with his store of tales about Cousin Bilbo’s Adventure, so different than the ones Cousin Bilbo told himself.   
  
Bilbo placed bowls of porridge on the table, and then attended to the teakettle. “It’s been very pleasant having you here,” he said. “I shall hate to see you leave.” He poured out the tea putting only a little in Merry’s cup, which Frodo topped off with milk and honey. Merry smiled up at his cousin as Frodo stirred it for him.  
  
“Well, I am glad to have seen you, Bilbo,” said Balin, “but as I told you, I’ve a venture of some importance to see to, and I must be on my way. I’ve stayed already a bit longer than I meant to.”  
  
Gandalf shook his head. “You know my opinion on this idea of yours.”  
  
“Yes, yes,” said the Dwarf impatiently, “how you do go on about it. But I am sure the time is right.”  
  
All the food was on the table, and Bilbo sat down now as they all ate. “I put cinnamon in the porridge…” started Bilbo, in an attempt to put the conversation on to the food, where it belonged.  
  
But, Merry supposed, Big Folk must not care as much about being proper, because the Wizard and the Dwarf carried on their previous conversation, and Bilbo just sighed and rolled his eyes.  
  
“I do wish that you would listen to me, old friend,” said Gandalf, “but heeding my advice is not something that Dwarves seem inclined to do.” He sounded a bit cross, thought Merry.  
  
“This strawberry jam was put up by Bell Gamgee…” Bilbo tried again.  
  
Gandalf chuckled. “Balin, we are reproved for our manners. The jam is delightful, Bilbo, as are the scones,” and he reached his long arm for another one.  
  
When they had finished eating, it was time to say farewell. Gandalf and the Dwarf took up their packs, and Bilbo, Frodo and Merry followed them outside.  
  
“I shall go see to the horse and cart,” said Gandalf, and he strode off on his long legs.  
  
The Gaffer and Sam were busy in the herb bed, as the gardener was thinning out some scallions.  
  
“Master Hamfast,” said Bilbo, “would you spare young Samwise to say farewell to our guests,”  
  
Hamfast had shaken his head resignedly. “Go along wi’ ye, Sam, and mind your manners.”  
  
They followed Balin around the side of the smial to the front path, and down to the gate, where Gandalf came rumbling up with the huge horse and cart.  
  
“Well,” said Bilbo, “I don’t suppose I shall see either of you for a while. Perhaps, Balin, in a few years, Frodo and I shall come visit you in your new home.”  
  
Balin nodded, and then said “I nearly forgot!” He fumbled in his pack, and then brought out one of his pipes. “Frodo, my lad, I wished to give you a gift to mark the occasion of your adoption.” He handed the pipe to Frodo, whose eyes grew perfectly huge.   
  
Frodo cast a look at Bilbo for permission, and at the older hobbit’s encouraging nod, said “Thank you very much, Master Balin! I shall treasure it!”  
  
Merry and Sam stared enviously. It would be many years before either of them could smoke a pipe.  
  
“Well,” said Gandalf gruffly, “come along, Master Dwarf!”  
  
And Balin clambered into the cart, and they drove off to waves from all three of the young hobbits and Bilbo.  
  
“That’s that, then,” said Bilbo briskly. “Come along, Frodo, Merry! We’ve the washing up to see to. Sam, I’m sure your father needs your help now!”_  
  
“I was sorry to see them go,” said Merry, “but none of us realised we’d never see Balin again. It wasn’t till after Moria that I realised just _where_ he had been planning to go that spring.”  
  
“I know,” said Sam. “He should have listened to Mr. Gandalf.”  
  
Pippin sighed, and looked at the sad expressions Merry and Sam wore. Although he had been told before that Gandalf and Balin had visited Frodo at the time, it had never really sunk in before. Why, no wonder Frodo had sounded so sad in Moria--and Merry and Sam must have felt it too, having met the Dwarf. He turned the pipe over and over in his hands.  
  
Sam looked at it. “Do you suppose Gimli would like to have it?”   
  
“Yes,” said Merry, “that’s an excellent idea, Sam. You should put it aside for the next time he visits.”  
  
Sam set the pipe Frodo got from poor Balin aside and then the three of them continued to look through the strongbox.  
  
“Why, look! Frodo kept his sheep all these years!” declared Pippin, holding it aloft.  
  
Merry took a small stuffed toy out of his cousin’s hand and examined it. It was still very fluffy, with a black face, ears, and hooves and a cream coloured body. “It’s still in pretty good shape, even after all those times we played with it here at Bag End. Of course, little Wyn and Perry each have one of their own. I make sure I keep my little lamb safely away from them so it comes to no harm.”

 [](http://photobucket.com/)

“Begging your pardon, but what about the sheep?” Sam asked, looking perplexed.  
  
Merry and Pippin grinned at each other and Merry nodded for Pippin to explain.  
  
“Well, as you know, my parents lived on the farm in Whitwell before Father became Thain. One of the things we did on the farm was herd sheep. Every Took or kin of the Tooks born is given a toy woolen sheep just like this one as a Naming Day present from my parents. Mother makes them all herself using fleece from our sheep.”  
  
“Mum told me once when I had misplaced it that this had been Frodo’s favourite toy when he was a _faunt_. She said he used to carry it around with him wherever he went and would say ‘baa,’ as if he were a sheep,” said Merry.  
  
They all paused and chuckled as they tried to imagine Frodo as a little _faunt_ , walking all around Brandy Hall ‘baaing’ like a sheep.   
  
“I could always tell mine apart from his when he was still living at Brandy Hall. Besides his having a black face, mine has grey eyes and Frodo’s has blue.”  
  
“That was right kind of your ma to make all them sheep for all of your kin! I take it that your sheep has green eyes then, Pippin?” Sam asked.  
  
Pippin turned to look at him. “It did,” he answered sadly.  
  
“You didn’t save yours like Mr. Frodo and Merry?”  
  
Merry grinned and looked at his cousin mischievously. “Go on then. Tell him.”  
  
Pippin looked bashfully down at his furry feet, the tips of his ears turning crimson. “I … I lost mine.”  
  
“You lost your sheep that your very own ma made for you?”  
  
Pippin nodded.  
  
“Tell him how, Pip.” Pippin glared at his cousin; Merry sounded a bit too smug to him.  
  
“I … I set it free. When I was little, still at Whitwell. I thought it would like to run free with the rest of the herd instead of being cooped up in my room so I took it outside and put it in the middle of the herd. I felt so proud of myself. But then one of our sheepdogs, a lovely black and white fellow named ‘Dickon,’ well, he herded the sheep over to the shearing pen, and when he did so, the sheep … well, they …”  
  
“They trampled right over Pippin’s little toy sheep!” grinned Merry. “I told you not to do it!”  
  
Sam looked stunned. The poor sheep! “But couldn’t you rescue it?”  
  
“Well, I suppose I could have, but by the time the sheep had all cleared and gone into the pen, Dickon came along and grabbed my stuffed sheep and took off with it. I never found it after that.” Pippin looked so sad that Sam came up with an idea how to put things to rights.  
  
Sam took Frodo’s sheep out of Merry’s hands and firmly placed it into Pippin’s hand, making his meaning clear, and sighed. Mr. Frodo ‘baaing’ like his black-faced sheep. Merry had a little lamb. And little lad Pip had lost his sheep and didn’t know where to find it. They all had wool in their heads. It was enough to make Sam glad he was born a Gamgee.   
  
Sam looked to see what else remained in the box, to find a distraction from this discussion about toy sheep.   
  
“What are these?” Sam asked curiously. He had two slim volumes, bound in blue leather in his lap and was thumbing through them. There were a couple of others next to him, identical. “It doesn’t look like Mr. Frodo’s work--and here’s one of Mr. Frodo himself as a young lad, if my eyes don‘t deceive me.”  
  
Merry took the book from Sam, and flipped through it. “Why these must be Cousin Calla’s sketchbooks! She left these to Frodo; he was her student at the Hall.”  
  
“Cousin Calla?” asked Pippin. “I'm not sure I remember her.” He put down the bundle of letters that looked to have been from Bilbo, and leaned over to look.  
  
“No, she fell ill of a wasting sickness not long after Frodo came to live with Bilbo. She became rather a recluse after that, hiding away in her rooms at Brandy Hall, and seldom seeing anyone. She died the very year Grandda did.* She was--let’s see--my sixth--hmm…Frodo’s fourth cousin, three times removed, and rather well-known as an artist, even outside of Buckland.” Merry reached over to the side table, and picked up the framed document which had been carefully placed right on top of everything in the strongbox--Drogo and Primula‘s marriage contract. “This is some of her work, at least the borders and illuminations. I am not sure if she did the text or not, but the artwork is definitely hers.”  
  
The three hobbits glanced through the sketchbooks, which also seemed to have served as journals as well. There were several sketches of a young Frodo. And there were some loose sketches tucked in as well.  
  
“Look at this!” cried Sam, “This is Mr. Frodo’s work! I wonder when he made it? I don’t remember it!”  
  
It was a charcoal sketch of a small child, just out of _faunthood_ , perhaps five or six years of age. He was looking up shyly, with a sunny smile, and he had a trowel in his hand and a smudge of dirt on his brow.  
  
Pippin laughed. “Why, that’s _you,_ Sam!”  
  
Merry chuckled. “So it is! Since it’s in Cousin Calla’s journal, I would suppose it is one he did for her in a lesson--he probably did it from memory after coming home to Buckland from a visit here one spring!” Merry studied it carefully for a moment. “I think that these journals could go back to Brandy Hall--but would you like to keep the sketch, Sam?”

  
[ ](http://photobucket.com/)

  
  
Sam took it, and shook his head in amazement. “I’d be glad of it, Merry. Do you know, I sometimes wondered if Mr. Frodo ever thought about me at all when he’d go home to his kin.”  
  
Merry smiled at Sam. “I’m surprised you would ever doubt it, Sam! And now you have the proof of it in your hands.”  
  
Pippin stood up restlessly, the small sheep that had belonged to Frodo still in his hands. Merry and Sam were still looking through Cousin Calla’s sketchbooks, exclaiming over pictures of Frodo when he was small. Sometimes--not often, but sometimes--Pippin felt a bit left out to hear of Frodo’s life before he was born. Merry and Sam had shared so much more of Frodo’s life, and most of the time he loved to hear about it, would even ask for it. But when he was missing his Baggins cousin as much as he was now, he occasionally thought how unfair it was that he did not have as many memories of Frodo.   
  
He stopped at the old desk beneath the window overlooking the front garden. Once it had been Bilbo’s, then Frodo’s, and now, Pippin supposed, Sam’s. It looked the same as it had when Frodo lived there--his desk set and various pens and penholders all lined up across the back. A good many of those had come from him. There was the oliphaunt ivory set he and Merry had found in Minas Tirith, and there was the fancy glass inkpot Pippin had given Frodo on his twelfth birthday, and there was the beautifully carved oak box, made especially for holding pens that Pippin had given Frodo on his twentieth birthday. It had curved slots inside to hold the pens. Pippin lifted the lid: there were arrayed the numerous pens he’d given Frodo over the years--a pen or some sort of writing implement or accessory had been his gift to Frodo ever since he was five. There they were, arrayed across the bottom of the box, from the cherry penholder with the brass nib that he’d given Frodo the year he‘d turned twenty-eight, to the pen made of beaten copper, to the silverpoint stylus, to--where was it? Where was the blue glass pen he’d given to Frodo when he was five? It had always stayed in that first slot, ever since Frodo had the box.  
  
“Sam?”  
  
Sam looked up from the sketchbook. “What is it Pippin?”  
  
“Do you know where the glass pen is? The one I gave Frodo?”  
  
Merry looked annoyed at the interruption, and then puzzled.  
  
Sam shook his head. “I don’t use any of Mr. Frodo’s special pens.”  
  
“Sam!” said Merry reproachfully.  
  
“No, no, Merry--it’s not that I don’t think I should. But I don’t write too comfortable with anything but a good old-fashioned goose quill. Mr. Bilbo showed me how to cut ‘em, you know, and he allus preferred a quill to the fancier pens Mr. Frodo liked.”  
  
“Well,” said Pippin, “it’s not here where he always kept it. I hope it did not break after all these years.”  
  
Sam shook his head. “It was one of his favourites. He was using it to make lists with right up to the day before he left.”  
  
Pippin ran a finger through the empty slot, his mind racing. Suddenly, he grinned. “He took it.” He laughed delightedly. “Frodo took it with him!” For some reason, Pippin was suddenly and absolutely certain of that, and it made him happier than he had been since they had begun to go through the box.  
  
Merry met his eyes, and nodded. “I don’t doubt but that you are right, Pip.” He bit his lip, and looked once more at the strongbox. “Maybe not everything that was special to Frodo is in here. He probably did take a few things with him.”   
  
The three of them looked at one another with dawning wonder. Of course he would have.  
  
Merry put aside the sketchbooks. It was comforting to know that Frodo had taken a few mementoes with him--that he had not had to abandon  _everything_ that was special to him when he left. Well, if Frodo had taken the pen Pippin gave him, he was bound to have taken something from Merry as well. He wondered what it might have been.  
  
Now Merry thought he might at last be able to get the attention of Sam and Pippin onto the letters he had kept safely by his side. He glanced through some of them, and then picked up one that had his grandmother’s spidery old-fashioned handwriting on the envelope. He took it out and opened the faded paper.  
  
“Oh,” he said, swallowing.  
  
“What is it, Merry?” asked Pippin, who still had not sat down again, but came to look over his cousin’s shoulder. “Oh.” He came around and sat down once more.  
  
Sam looked up with a puzzled glance, and Merry began to read:  
  
 _"Brandy Hall  
Buckland  
1 Thrimidge, S.R. 1380  
  
My dear Bilbo,  
  
There is no easy way to soften this news: last night Primula and Drogo were out boating upon the River. It is not known how it happened, but there was an accident to the boat. Both Primula and Drogo drowned.   
  
Young Frodo fortunately was not with them when it occurred, and so was safe. However, he somehow escaped his minders, and was present when his parents' bodies were raised this afternoon. He became hysterical, and the healer had to give him a calming draught.   
  
I am writing because Rory and Saradoc are completely distraught, and the Hall is in chaos. The funeral is in four days. I rely on you to pass the news to Dudo, Dora and other such Baggins relations as may wish to attend the funeral.   
  
However, the Sackville-Bagginses will not be welcome in Buckland under any circumstances. I hold Lobelia responsible for this tragedy! It was her malicious ill-will that caused this, I am sure.  
  
Please come at once, Bilbo. Rory needs you, and so does little Frodo.  
  
Affectionately,  
  
Menegilda Brandybuck"_  
  
  
Merry shook his head. "Grandmother always did blame Lobelia for Aunt Primula's death, you know."  
  
Pippin bit his lip. This was a tale he had not known until fairly recently, but Sam nodded.  
  
"On account of Missus Lobelia bringing a gift to the wedding when Mr. Frodo's parents were married," he said sagely.  
  
"That's right. You know, Bucklanders set a lot of store by that particular superstition, and Grandmother more than most. She could never bear to be around the S.-B.s after that, and she never did want Frodo to come to Hobbiton on that account. Even when he visited Bilbo, she always worried about Frodo encountering them."  
  
“There was naught for her to fear when Mr. Frodo was visiting Mr. Bilbo. Any time that them S.-B.s ever tried to poke their heads in Bag End, Mr. Bilbo was always sure to clear them off afore they could be a bother to Mr. Frodo. Very careful of him, Mr. Bilbo was, though he was still worried that them S.-B.s would bother Mr. Frodo when he were off somewhere without Mr. Bilbo,” said Sam.  
  
“You’re right, Sam,” said Merry. His face lit up with a grin at a memory of a certain encounter when he had visited Bag End when he was young. “But I do seem to recall Frodo teaching the S.-B.s a lesson when he punched Lotho in the nose.”  
  
All three of them laughed, as they all enjoyed envisioning Frodo punching Lotho in the nose to protect Merry.  
  
“I reckon your grandmother and Mr. Bilbo never did have no real cause to fret about the S.-B.s and Mr. Frodo,” Sam finally said. “He could take care of himself.”  
  
“Yes, and usually one of those looks from Frodo was all it took for Frodo to make sure the errant hobbit never erred again,” added Pippin as he reached for the next letter. “Here’s one from your mother to Bilbo before you were born,” he said to Merry. He scanned the contents of the letter quickly and broke into a grin. “She mentions *you* in it!”  
  
"Where?"   
  
"Right here," Pippin grinned, and began to read aloud:  
  
 _"I will not be attending your Birthday this year however. I do not plan to be doing much travelling for the next several months, as sometime in mid-Solmath, Saradoc and I will be expecting the arrival of our first child!  
  
Frodo is doing somewhat better. He is still far too melancholy for his age, and it has been nearly a year and a half since we lost Primula and Drogo. However the knowledge that he would be going to see you in Hobbiton has piqued his interest, and he is very much looking forward to the visit..."_  
  
  
“Bilbo was the only one who could really raise Frodo’s spirits before you were born,” said Pippin quietly.  
  
Merry nodded sadly and looked at his dear mother’s familiar scroll a moment longer before reaching for the next letter. He gasped when he saw the only slightly less familiar handwriting on the envelope.   
  
“This one’s from Grandfather.” He looked at Merry and Pippin for reassurance. They both nodded at him and he removed the letter from the envelope and opened it up hesitantly, but then immediately began to grin once he saw what the letter was about.  
  
  
 _Brandy Hall  
Buckland  
15 Solmath, S.R. 1382  
  
My dearest friend and cousin, Bilbo--  
  
It is with great pride that I announce to you that the Son of the Hall and his wife are delivered of a fine son. He was born yesterday morning at four o' clock in the morning, and immediately began announcing his desire for first breakfast!  
  
Meriadoc weighed three and three-quarter pounds and was ten and one half inches long! A fine strapping lad!   
  
Esmeralda is doing well, although tired, of course, and Saradoc is almost as insufferably pleased with himself. Young Frodo seems to have been quite taken with his new young cousin as well.  
  
I hope very much that you might come across the River for a visit soon and meet my new grandson!   
  
Love,  
  
Your cousin,  
  
Rory Brandybuck_  
  
  
”Three and three-quarter pounds!” exclaimed Pippin. “Goodness, Merry, but you were a big baby! Poor Aunt Esme!”  
  
“I was not big!” Merry snapped back. He was sorry to have snapped back the next moment as the thought of how little Pippin had been when he was born prematurely crossed his mind. “Not so big, at any rate. How big were you when you were born, Sam?”  
  
Sam’s cheeks grew hot with embarrassment at the attention being turned onto him.  
  
“Yes, Sam. How much did you weigh?” asked Pippin curiously. “You couldn’t have been larger than old Merry here!”  
  
Sam’s cheeks reddened even more, especially as Merry and Pippin continued to look at him expectantly for an answer. There was nothing for it but to tell them.  
  
“Four and one-half pounds,” he replied quietly. “But I weren’t near as big as Hamson! He was four and three-quarter pounds!”  
  
Merry’s and Pippin’s eyes grew round as they both gulped.   
  
“I always did admire your mother, Sam,” said Merry.   
  
“Yes. And now I don’t feel quite so sorry for Aunt Esme anymore,” added Pippin. “At least, not because of Merry’s birth weight. Having to put up with him as a son is a different matter all together.”  
  
“Oi!” Merry aimed a cousinly swat at the back of Pippin's head, but Pippin was just a bit too quick for him.   
  
All three of the hobbits were grinning as they happily looked at the next letter.   
  
“This one has to be… “Pippin began as he opened the letter. “It is! It‘s from Frodo himself!”   
  
  
_Brandy Hall  
Buckland  
16 Solmath, S.R. 1382  
  
Dear Uncle Bilbo,  
  
I have a new cousin! I know that you knew he was coming soon. Well, he was born the day before yesterday. His name is Meriadoc, but I have decided to call him "Merry", for he is such a cheerful baby. When I saw him, I know he smiled at me, although Aunt Esme and Uncle Sara say he is far too little and too young yet to do any such thing. But I know I could feel him smiling. He took hold of one of my fingers and held on tightly, as though he would never let go! He is very strong for such a tiny baby.  
  
I know there have been other baby cousins at the Hall, but this one is very special. I just know it! I hope you will come and see him soon, so then my two most favourite cousins of all can meet!  
  
I miss you very much, Uncle Bilbo!  
  
Love,  
  
Your cousin,  
  
Frodo_  
  
“Well, of course, it was you and Bilbo before *I* came along,” Pippin grinned. “Once he got a look at me, of course, *I* was his favourite!”  
  
Merry chuckled. “Certainly, Pippin. Whatever you say Pippin.” Then he winked at Sam. “We humour his delusions, Sam.”  
  
“Oi!” exclaimed Pippin, aiming his own swat at the back of Merry’s head, which his cousin easily ducked.  
  
Shaking his head, Merry took up the next letter. He frowned as he read his father’s letter, an old familiar pain of heartache gripping his middle.  
  
“What is it, Merry?” asked Pippin, pulling a corner of the letter down so that he could read it as well.   
  
Merry swallowed miserably. “Frodo.”  
  
Sam came up on the other side of Merry and the three of them read the letter.  
  
 _Brandy Hall  
Buckland  
7 Thrimidge, S.R. 1384  
  
Dear Bilbo,  
  
I thank you so much for promptly informing us of Frodo's whereabouts. We had been frantic at discovering that he was missing, and my father had already ordered dragging the River, fearing the worst.  
  
We were furious to discover what he had done until we read his own letter, and realized how hurt he must have been. I am still a bit upset that he did not feel he could confide in me, however that has never been an easy thing for him to do--I was very angry indeed at Aunt Asphodel and Uncle Rufus. They had no business interfering, nor saying things of that sort to Frodo..."_  
  
  
Merry sighed and shook his head. “I was only an infant of two at the time. But I’ve overheard my parents talking about it often enough since then. That was the first time Frodo came for his annual visit to Bilbo. By the time the visit ended, Bilbo had come to an agreement with my parents and my grandfather, that every spring, Frodo would come to Bag End for two or three months. My grandmother was not happy with the arrangement, but she went along with it. I learned later that it was the first time Bilbo tried to press his claim on Frodo and bring him back here permanently--but mum and Grandmother Gilda kept saying he was still too young, and rather than cause a rift in the family, Bilbo went along with it." Merry bit his lip, and shook his head. It hurt to think that he might have lost Frodo when he was still so young. "If he'd succeeded, well, I don't suppose I'd have realized--but I would have missed out on so much--yet he might have been happier--" suddenly Merry burst into tears. "I'm sorry to be such a misery," he said.  
  
Pippin solemnly and silently embraced Merry, rubbing his back. Sam was wiping his own eyes. "Bless me," he said, "I was still a _faunt_ myself then, but I can remember him that year sitting on the step with this faraway look in his eyes, and thinking he were awful sad. I never really understood how bad he had it, back in Buckland. But Merry, I don't think he would have wanted to miss out on them things he did with you when you was a little lad. When he finally did come to live here, I think almost every other word out of his mouth was 'Merry'."  
  
Merry sniffled, and took the handkerchief Pippin handed him, and blew his nose. "Thank you, Sam. I know I would not give up those memories for the world."  
  
After giving Merry a few minutes to compose himself, Pippin picked up another letter. “That’s from Bilbo…” his voice trailed off, as he looked at the date on the letter. “He wrote it on the day of The Party--just before he left.”  
  
Merry and Sam looked over Pippin’s shoulders, as they read the first few sentences.  
  
 _"Bag End  
22 Halimath, S.R. 1401  
  
My Dear Frodo:  
  
Thirty-three years ago today, your father sent me a letter saying that I had given he and your mother the finest birthday gift I could have ever given them – you. I must say that your father was quite right.  
  
My own adventure lies on a path outside the Shire now. Do not be sad, Frodo; I shall always love you..."_  
  
The three of them looked at one another, and Sam shook his head.  
  
“You’re right, Sam. This was private, between the two of them,” said Merry.  
  
Pippin nodded, and replaced it in the envelope very carefully.  
  
They were silent for a moment, and then Merry opened another letter, and then grinned widely.  
  
 _"Brandy Hall  
Buckland  
12 Foreyule, S.R. 1401  
  
Dear Frodo,  
  
When are you coming here? I know you are busy with all of your responsibilities now that Bilbo has left, but I need you here to help me manage a certain little Took who is getting under my skin.   
  
I’m glad Aunt Tina brought him here so he does not catch the sickness going around in the Tooklands, but do you know what that cousin of yours is doing? He’s decided that a great way to wake me up every morning is to gather up some of the overnight frost, pat it until it is nice and firm, and then slip it inside my nightclothes – with me still inside them!"_  
  
Pippin snorted, and Sam rolled his eyes.  
  
 _"Once he has me up, he insists on singing 'One hundred apple pies' all day long. Yes, that song!  
  
If that’s not enough to drive any hobbit mad, he has been teasing me mercilessly about liking a certain lass or two, including right in front of the lasses! You would think that a lad with three older sisters would understand how vexing that could be, but not your cousin. Oh, no! It’s as if he was purposely trying to get me to stop paying the lasses any attention.  
  
I dare not complain to Mum or Da or Aunt Tina about it. They might not let him come next year or insist on punishing him, which would all be my fault for not getting him to see reason.   
  
Please, Frodo. You know how he minds you better than anyone else sometimes. I know you couldn’t come back to Buckland after the Birthday *this* year for your autumn visit, but it’s drawing near First Yule and I miss you. It’s no good for you to stay shut inside Bag End all by yourself.   
  
Won’t you come straight away to see your sprout?  
  
Love,  
  
Your cousin,  
  
Merry" _  
  
  
Pippin shook his head and chuckled. "I remember reading that over your shoulder as you wrote it! You made me sound quite dreadful!"  
  
Merry grinned. "Well, I didn't know that after I made up the part about the frost that you would *do* it to me the next morning!"  
  
"I couldn't let you lie, could I?"  
  
"And how I let you talk me into putting in that part about 'sprout' I will never know! I hated for Frodo to call me that when I was that age!"  
  
"It worked, didn't it? I told you Frodo would really feel sorry for you if you put that in! I was right."  
  
"Well, I knew you were right--of course it would have made him feel dreadfully guilty. But that didn't mean I liked it." Merry sighed. "I was rather silly and full of myself at that age you know." It was not until Frodo was gone from any possibility of ever calling him ‘sprout’ again that Merry realised just how much he missed it.  
  
“Well, with as miserable as Frodo was feeling after Bilbo left the Shire, your bruised pride was a small price to pay to make Frodo come to Brandy Hall sooner so he could start to feel happy again.”  
  
“After we made him feel dreadfully guilty first.”  
  
“Right.”  
  
Sam shook his head and chuckled at the two of them. Some things never *changed*.   
  
Pippin lifted his chin, sniffed the air, and grinned. “Mmm! I do believe I smell dinner!” A rumble from the vicinity of his stomach punctuated that observation.  
  
Merry inhaled as well, a look of pure bliss on his face. “Mushroom pie!”  
  
“Glory! That smells like Rosie’s coney stew!” exclaimed Sam, his own stomach beginning to rumble.  
  
All thoughts of the strongbox were put aside as the three hobbits followed their noses straightaway into the kitchen, each of them salivating.  
  
Some things never changed.

xxxxxxx  
  
“That was a delicious meal, Rosie!” Pippin exclaimed, popping a small ball of cheese into his mouth. Ever since he was a lad, it had been Pippin’s habit to roll small bits of cheese up into balls on his plate while filling in the corners.  
  
“Thank you, but your compliment should go to Estella, too. She made the mushroom pie and the roasted vegetables.”  
  
“I should have recognised your cooking! It was delicious as always.”   
  
Estella inclined her head slightly toward Pippin in acknowledgement.   
  
“Very astute of you, Pip,” chuckled Merry. “You almost got yourself landed with doing the dishes.”  
  
“Why, I’d be glad to wash the dishes, Merry!” Pippin said. There was a hint of mischief twinkling in his eyes.   
  
“I like the sound of this!” exclaimed Estella.  
  
“After Rosie and Estella made such a fine meal while we looked through Frodo’s strong box,” Pippin continued, “it’s only right that we take care of clearing the table and washing up the dishes. Don’t you agree, cousin?” Pippin grinned at Merry expectantly.  
  
Merry forced himself to smile. “Why, yes, Pip. A very good idea!” He turned to face his wife. “You and Rosie rest, dear. Pippin and I will take care of the dishes.”   
  
Sam held his hand up to cover his mouth as he tried to hide a snigger.   
  
“And Sam will help us,” Merry said, looking straight at Sam and grinned. “Won’t you, Sam?”  
  
Sam erased the smile from his face and looked from the grins of his Rosie and Estella to the even wider matching grins of Merry and Pippin. “Err… right, Merry. It’s only proper.”  
  
“Glory, what a treat this will be!” exclaimed Rose. “Mind you get all the dirt off and don’t break anything, lads!”  
  
She was rewarded with the mock hurt looks of all three hobbits.  
  
Estella picked Perry up out of the chair beside her and laughed. “Well, that’s settled then! Come on, Rosie. We’ll be in the sitting room when you are finished, lads.”  
  
“Nice going, Pip! Why don’t you offer for us to put all the children to sleep while you’re at it!” said Merry as the three hobbits began to clear the table.  
  
“With pleasure, cousin!” grinned Pippin.   
  
“Pippin!” Merry hissed.  
  
“Did you hear that, Rosie and Estella?” Pippin said loudly, ignoring his cousin. “After we are finished with the dishes, Merry, Sam, and I will be happy to put the children to bed while you have some tea.”  
  
“Well, I don’t know what’s got into the three of you, but Estella and I know when not to argue! Don’t we, Estella?” said Rosie.  
  
“Absolutely! This should be interesting,” mused Estella. “Perry usually cries when anyone but me tries to put him to sleep for the night.”  
  
Merry scowled at Pippin, nodding in agreement. “Well done, Pip,” he said sarcastically.  
  
“I thought so!” Pippin agreed with a wide, toothy grin. “I’ve helped Estella put Perry to bed lots of times. How hard can it be?”  
  
“Come on, let’s get started,” said Sam. He picked up the empty plates that had held the roasted chicken and taters. “As my old gaffer always said, ‘fastest started, soonest done.’”  
  
With Sam in the kitchen, it wasn’t long before the table was cleared and all of the dishes were washed, dried, and put away. Even though they were grown-up, he had been very careful to push the jar of flour out of sight of Merry and Pippin.   
  
Then it was time to put the children to bed for the night. Fortunately, the little Elanor and Wyn liked getting baths and their fathers had very little trouble getting their daughters cleaned. In the meantime, Pippin held little Perry while he tried to keep Frodo-lad amused.  
  
“I’ll wash Frodo-lad while Sam puts the lasses to bed,” suggested Merry. “You, my dear cousin, may give Perry his bath and put him to bed.”  
  
“With pleasure! You’ll see, Merry,” Pippin smiled. “Your son will be clean and sound asleep in no time.”  
  
As Pippin moved past them with little one-year-old Perry in his arms, Sam and Merry exchanged a knowing glance.   
  
It was with great satisfaction that Merry left the bathing room half an hour later with a clean Frodo-lad in his arms.  
  
“Well?” Sam said simply as he entered the room Frodo-lad and Perry were sharing.   
  
“Are the lasses asleep?” asked Merry.  
  
Sam nodded his head and looked back at Merry expectantly.  
  
Merry’s face lit up as he thought of the scene he had recently left in the bathing room. “I’m very proud of my son. Right now, Perry is proving that he has inherited my ability to get under Pippin’s skin.”  
  
“Not exactly being cooperative, is the lad?” asked Sam.  
  
“Most Brandybucks love the water, but not my lad. I’m afraid Perry takes after his Uncle Freddy when it comes to that,” said Merry with glee.   
  
Sam and Merry laughed quietly while they finished tucking Frodo-lad in. In a few short minutes, the two experienced fathers had him asleep. Then, they sat in the two chairs in the room and waited for Pippin to show up with Perry.  
  
They waited.  
  
And waited.  
  
And waited some more.  
  
Sam was just starting to nod off when a haggard looking Pippin finally entered the room with a wriggling Perry in his arms. Merry nudged Sam’s elbow and he looked up at Pippin and tried not to grin.  
  
“Any problems?” Merry asked Pippin happily.  
  
Pippin sighed with exhaustion and managed to paste a tired smile on his face before looking at Merry.  
  
“Oh, no. Perry… was having so much fun in the bath that I just decided to let him play for a bit. That’s all.”   
  
“Good!” Merry grinned wickedly. “Then since the two of you are getting along so well, you should have no problem in putting him to bed and getting to sleep.”  
  
Pippin smiled weakly at Merry. “No, it shouldn’t be a problem at all.” He was beginning to think twice about his earlier idea. It had seemed a good idea at the time – whenever Pippin had helped Estella, she’d never had difficulty getting Perry to sleep.   
  
“Pippin…” Sam moved to stand and help the inexperienced unwed hobbit. It really wasn’t fair.   
  
Merry moved Sam firmly back into his chair. “No, Sam. Pippin said it shouldn’t be any problem at all. Let him do it.”   
  
“Is everything going fine in there?” Estella asked loudly.  
  
“Everything’s just fine, dear.” Merry replied, easing himself back into his chair. He then stretched, folded his hands neatly behind his head, and looked at Pippin expectantly.  
  
Pippin looked from his cousin down to the squirming bundle in his arms and sighed.  
  
It was twenty minutes later and although Pippin had managed to get Perry to lie down, the baby was still screaming. It had only been thanks to Sam that Frodo-lad had not woken up.   
  
Merry still sat in the rocking chair enjoying the entertainment. Normally, he hated to hear his son scream. But not tonight. His normally cheery cousin full of energy was withering into a pile of frustrated raw nerves before his eyes. He doubted that even the battle before the Black Gate had been as daunting an experience for Pippin.  
  
“Please, Perry! Stop being so contrary and go to sleep!” Pippin had already sung all of the soothing songs he knew to the lad but with no results.   
  
At this rate, they would never get Perry to sleep. Sam looked over at Merry and pled with his eyes. Finally, Merry nodded in satisfied agreement.  
  
“Here now, let me try, Pippin,” said Sam as he came to Pippin’s side. “You sit down and rest a while.”  
  
“Thank you, Sam,” Pippin said with relief. He weakly clapped a hand on Sam’s shoulder before collapsing into the chair Sam had just vacated and glancing at Merry, who smugly met his eyes.  
  
“There now, Master Periadoc, what’s all the fuss about?” Sam held the baby in his arms and rocked him gently back and forth. He softly hummed an old tune his gammer had always sung to him when he was a lad.   
  
Although Perry was sniffling, he was quieting down. It wasn’t long before he was sound asleep in Sam’s arms.  
  
Pippin looked on in amazement. “Sam! How did you do that?” he whispered. He dared not speak too loudly lest he wake Perry up and Merry made *him* get the baby back to sleep.  
  
“Why, it’s naught but having a couple of wee ones of our own! Both Rosie and I have had plenty of nights such as you had before we learnt what works and what don’t.”  
  
“I guess you were right. I didn’t know what I was doing when I said we would put the lads and lasses to sleep. Especially Master Periadoc over there,” said a chagrined Pippin.  
  
“You’ll see when you and Diamond get married and have little ones of your own, Pip,” Merry added quietly. He rose and went over to Sam to get a look at his sleeping son. No matter how much he had enjoyed teaching Pippin a lesson, it hadn’t been easy for Merry to hear Perry scream like that and not go over to him. “You will learn fast enough. Wyn was never a problem to get to sleep, but Perry won’t go to sleep for anyone but Estella. I’m a bit surprised he fell asleep for you, Sam.”  
  
Sam’s face reddened slightly. “The lad had probably just worn himself out with all his fussing while Pippin was tending him, that’s all,” he said humbly. “Just look at the sweet little lad now!”  
  
“You’d never guess he was screaming like a goblin a minute ago,” said Pippin.  
  
“No, he looks as peaceful as if he were in Lothlorien,” added Merry.   
  
“Perry’s always been good at changing his moods quickly.”  
  
Sam smiled at the baby as he laid him down and covered him with a soft blanket. As he did so, Perry opened his eyes sleepily for a moment and yawned and stretched. He stared at Sam for a moment and then winked at him before closing both eyes and drifting back to sleep.  
  
“Did you see that?” Sam asked in amazement. “He winked at me! Perry’s a winker!”  
  
“Perry-the-Winkle?” Merry stared at Sam in surprise. “What kind of outlandish name is that for my son?”  
  
Pippin laughed. “Silly Merry! You need to have Estella clean your ears for you or do a better job of cleaning them yourself! Sam didn’t say ‘Perry-the-Winkle!’ He said that Perry is a winker!”  
  
Sam nodded in agreement. “Aye, that’s a fact, Merry, though there’s naught wrong with ‘Perry-the-Winkle’ neither.”  
  
“Did you hear that, Merry?” chuckled Pippin. “Perhaps you should have had a daughter instead and then you could have named her ‘Periwinkle!’” he jested.  
  
Merry looked sharply up at his cousin and glared at him with mock indignation.  
  
“Now, see here, Pippin. Perry is a fine lad and a right smart and friendly one to be winking at such an early age,” Sam chided him. “Isn’t that so, Master Perry-the-Winkle?” he added, turning to snug the blanket up a little more around the sleeping baby.  
  
“Thank you, Sam!” replied Merry, jutting his chin up in the air a little at   
  
Pippin. “You feel free to call him ‘Perry-the-Winkle’ any time you want. I believe you’ve earned that right since you were able to get him to go to sleep.”  
  
“Why, glory be, I believe I will!” exclaimed Sam softly, leaning over to run a finger gently around one pointy little ear. “Did you hear that, Perry-the-Winkle? You’ve got a new name for me to be a calling you!”  
  
“Well, now that Perry’s asleep and has got a new name, I believe it’s time we all left this room and rejoined your wives,” suggested Pippin.  
  
“Now that’s the _first_ good idea you’ve had this evening!” joked Merry as he clapped Pippin on the back.  


**End Notes:**

Following are the full texts of three of the letters quoted in chapter four.  
  
The full text of Esmeralda’s letter to Bilbo:  
  
 _Brandy Hall  
Buckland  
7 Halimath, S.R. 1381  
  
My dear Cousin Bilbo,  
  
In response to your kind invitation, I must let you know that of course young Frodo will be coming, as well as Saradoc and Father Rory. Mother Menegilda, as you know, will not be there--I am quite sure you have of necessity invited the S.-B.s, and she will not take any chances of encountering them. Since it would create a painful scene, I believe that is just as well.  
  
I will not be attending your Birthday this year however. I do not plan to be doing much travelling for the next several months, as sometime in mid-Solmath, Saradoc and I will be expecting the arrival of our first child!   
  
Frodo is doing somewhat better. He is still far too melancholy for his age, and it has been nearly a year and a half since we lost Primula and Drogo. However the knowledge that he would be going to see you in Hobbiton has piqued his interest, and he is very much looking forward to the visit.  
  
Since I will not be seeing you, I take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Birthday and many more happy returns of the occasion.  
  
With fondness I remain,  
  
Your cousin,  
  
Esmeralda Brandybuck_  
  
  
The full text of Saradoc’s letter to Bilbo:  
(It references two other stories about the time Frodo ran away from Brandy Hall and went to Bag End--  
  
[Grief](viewstory.php?sid=1621)   
  
[The Apology](viewstory.php?sid=1646)  
  
  
 _Brandy Hall  
Buckland  
7 Thrimidge, S.R. 1384  
  
Dear Bilbo,  
  
I thank you so much for promptly informing us of Frodo's whereabouts.   
  
We had been frantic at discovering that he was missing, and my father had already ordered dragging the River, fearing the worst.]  
  
We were furious to discover what he had done until we read his own letter, and realized how hurt he must have been. I am still a bit upset that he did not feel he could confide in me, however that has never been an easy thing for him to do--I was very angry indeed at Aunt Asphodel and Uncle Rufus. They had no business interfering, nor saying things of that sort to Frodo.  
  
Da and I spoke to them, however, and showed them Frodo's letter, and they were appalled to realize the effect their careless words had on the lad. I am afraid that Uncle Rufus has never been terribly insightful or tactful of people's feelings, and Aunt Asphodel has always been one to think she knows more of things than she actually does. And not living here at the Hall, they had never before seen how distressed poor Frodo becomes near the anniversary of his parents' death. They meant no harm, but I am afraid that Esme and I will never quite feel the same about them after this. Most especially Esme was infuriated that Aunt Asphodel would seek to keep Frodo away from Merry.  
  
At any rate, if you really do not mind having him there, we are certainly glad to consent to his remaining for a couple of months. We will work out the exact length of his stay later. And by all means I will abide by any punishment you care to set him, as I am not certain whether I would hug him or thrash him or both were I to have him in front of me now, I am so torn between relief and anger. However, I must say that extra lessons will not be much of a hardship to him, unless they are sums!  
  
My mother wishes to remind you that she would prefer you keep him away from the Sackville-Bagginses. Knowing how you avoid them like the plague, I scarcely think you need such a reminder! And I know that in Hobbiton it may not be possible for him to avoid them altogether. However, I can with a clear conscience let her know that I have passed on her message.  
Please assure Frodo of our love, and let him know that Merry has missed him. I know that Esme is writing to him, so I will leave it at that.  
  
Once again, thank you so much for letting us know our lad is safe!  
  
Gratefully yours,  
  
Your cousin,  
  
Saradoc"_  
  
  
The full text of Bilbo’s farewell letter to Frodo:  
  
  
 _Bag End  
22 Halimath, S.R. 1401  
  
  
My Dear Frodo:_

_  
Thirty-three years ago today, your father sent me a letter saying that  he and your mother had given me the finest birthday gift  they could have ever given me – you. I must say that your father was quite right.  
  
My own adventure lies on a path outside the Shire now. Do not be sad, Frodo; I shall always love you.   
  
 But one hundred eleven years in any place is long enough. Gandalf stirred something inside me when he forced me out of my bright green door at Bag End and out into the world beyond the Shire. Oh, I don’t blame Gandalf, he knew the adventurous sort when he saw it. Call it the Took foolish spirit of adventure I inherited from my mother or call it Baggins’ determination, but with all of the hobbits of my age gone, I am determined now to go live the remainder of my days outside the Shire with my dear friends I made on my journey long ago.   
  
I have never forgotten the great friends and acquaintances I made on that journey to the Misty Mountains. Frodo, it’s a large world out there, a world full of wonders beyond our imaginations. You may recall when Balin visited us the spring that you finally came to live at Bag End and how he wished for me to go with him to the Mines of Moria. I felt the old tug of longing to go beyond the Shire once more that summer and I have felt it every time Gandalf has visited us or I have seen a Dwarf or an Elf pass through the Shire. But I would not go then, for I had you – my dear lad, someone special that a confirmed old bachelor such as me could never have hoped to have the opportunity to raise. Do not feel bad for me, Frodo. I do not regret my decision to remain for an instant, for I am much the richer for having you live with me. You are worth much more to me than all the jewels of Moria and the Misty Mountains combined.   
  
Ever since you came to live with me, my life has been filled with warmth and laughter. While I have had plenty of young lads, including your own father, in my charge as a teacher, it pales in comparison to the joy you have given me day in and day out. We are kindred spirits with the same love of learning and sense of adventure. I could not have asked for a finer young hobbit to be as my own. Raising you was my greatest and grandest adventure.   
  
But now that adventure has come to an end, for you are an adult no longer needing the care of a guardian. You have grown up into a caring, intelligent hobbit with sound judgment that would make your parents proud. You are ready to become Master of Bag End. And Master of Bag End is an adventure that I wish for you – you are still in love with the Shire, and deserve the chance to *be* your own master for a while. Otherwise, and make no mistake, I would have loved to have your company on this last adventure. But I cannot be that selfish.  
  
And so, I leave Bag End and all of my possessions to you, dear Frodo, as I go now to whatever adventure may next await me. Perhaps we shall meet again, but if not, know that I love you, my dear cousin, as if you were my own son.  
  
Love,  
  
Bilbo _

**Author's Note:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTES: PROLOGUE:
> 
> This story is a collaboration between Dreamflower and Gryffinjack. We are planning to explore the things that Frodo had felt important enough to save throughout his life, and yet could not take with him on his final journey. Along the way, Sam, Merry and Pippin are going to learn more about Frodo than they already knew.
> 
> Each chapter will be followed by some Author's Notes, in which we will post some of the documents mentioned in the story in their entirety. In addition, there will be links to pictures of other items that were found in the strongbox.
> 
> We hope you will enjoy exploring the contents of Frodo's strongbox as much as we do.


End file.
